Zodiac light captured from two hemispheres

When we look at the sky, we see only half of the sphere, and the second part is hidden behind the horizon. To observe the whole picture, it is necessary to combine two perspectives. Photographers Peter Horalek and Juan Carlos Casado chose the time when the zodiacal light is visible above the horizon, and captured this phenomenon from two observatories located approximately at the same latitude, only in opposite directions from the equator.

One image was taken in February 2020 from the observatory on the Canary island of La Palma in the Northern Hemisphere. And the second in April 2016 from the Chilean Observatory La Silla in the Southern hemisphere.

The zodiacal light looks like a pale triangle elongated along the plane of the ecliptic. Last year, scientists found out that it comes from a cluster of Martian dust particles that scatter sunlight. These particles fly into space during strong dust storms on the Red Planet. Previously, it was believed that comets and asteroids were the source of dust. The best time to observe the zodiacal light is from February to April, especially in the new moon closest to the equinox.