A Hale-Bopp Triple Crown

Explanation: It was truly a busy sky. In one of the more spectacular photos yet submitted to Astronomy Picture of the Day , Don Cooke of Lyme, New Hampshire caught the Sun , Moon , Earth , night sky , Pleiades star cluster , and Comet Hale-Bopp all in one frame. The first leg of this “triple crown” exposure was of the Sun , taken at 6:55 pm on April 10th 1997. Through a dark filter, the Sun appears as the bright dot on the lower right of the image. A second filtered exposure was then taken after the Sun had set, one hour and 40 minutes later - this time featuring the Moon . The Moon appears as a crescent superimposed on an odd-shaped dark circle protruding into the left of the image. This shadow is actually a silhouette of a driveway reflector mounted on an aluminum rod used to block out the bright moon - so as to allow a third exposure, this time unfiltered, of the background night sky. And what a beautiful sky it is. Highlights include Comet Hale-Bopp , on the right, and the Pleiades star cluster , near the center. But what, you may wonder, is that bright light near the center of the picture? Don't worry if you can't guess: it's a porch light from a house across the river!