This weeks photo was taken in Chile last October and shows a faint glow which is the gegenschein. Gegenschein is a faint brightening of the night sky in the region of the ecliptic directly opposite the Sun. The gegenschein is so faint that it cannot be seen if there is any moonlight or light pollution, or if it falls in the vicinity of the Milky Way. The orientation of the ecliptic at this time of year makes it a favorable time for trying to view optical phenomena associated with dust in the plane of the planets. The zodiacal light and the gegenschein which is German for counter-glow, often easily viewed in the tropics, are seen in the morning sky for our latitude in September and October. Also visible in the background is the Andromeda galaxy in the lower left as well as the Pleiades. During the day, a phenomenon similar to the gegenschein called the glory can be seen in reflecting air or clouds opposite the Sun from an airplane.
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