Zodiacal Band in the Pre-dawn Sky

In this pre-dawn moment on Mount Uludag of Turkey, the summer stars approach the western horizon (right), the faint autumn constellations are over the south in the middle and the winter stars are appearing from the east (left). The rising crescent moon and planet Mars are notable at the lower left. They are embraced by the zodiacal light; the reflection of sunlight from dust in the Solar System plane. Continue this fading light along the ecliptic, as it passed through the bright Jupiter and continues faintly across the sky in the form of “zodiacal band”. Click on the second photo to see this view in the morning twilight.