Cathedral, Mountain, Moon

Explanation: Single shots like this require planning. The first step is to realize that such an amazing triple-alignment actually takes place. The second step is to find the best location to photograph it. But it was the third step: being there at exactly the right time -- and when the sky was clear -- that was the hardest. Five times over six years the photographer tried and found bad weather . Finally, just ten days ago, the weather was perfect, and a photographic dream was realized. Taken in Piemonte , Italy , the cathedral in the foreground is the Basilica of Superga , the mountain in the middle is Monviso , and, well, you know which moon is in the background. Here, even though the setting Moon was captured in a crescent phase , the exposure was long enough for doubly reflected Earthlight , called the da Vinci glow , to illuminate the entire top of the Moon .

Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995)