Morning mystery glow announces arrival of zodiacal light

When fall comes around I know it’s time to get up at dawn to see the glory of the zodiacal light. It may not be easy to set the alarm for 4:30 a.m. and wander out into 32-degree cold, but … Continue reading →

The zodiacal light (left) points upward from the eastern horizon and “touches” the Milky Way (right) Sunday morning. The bright object is the planet Venus. Details: 16mm lens at f/2.8, ISO 800 and 90 second exposure on a tracking mount. Photo: Bob King
When fall comes around I know it’s time to get up at dawn to see the glory of the zodiacal light. It may not be easy to set the alarm for 4:30 a.m. and wander out into 32-degree cold, but you take it a step at a time. Pull on your pants, zip up jacket, pack camera in car and drive to a dark location with an open view to the east.
I’ve never been able to shake the feeling of sneaking around or breaking the rules when I get up in the early morning hours. As a teenager I remember tiptoeing from the bedroom to the front door trying hard to avoid ...