Photographer Valerio Minato was able to capture a stunning shot of Italy’s Superga Basilica against the backdrop of Mount Monviso and the moon – and all three plans coincided so well that it looks like a photoshop rather than a real photo. The work was even appreciated by NASA experts, who recognized the image as the best astronomical photo of the day on December 25.
The road to success was long: you had to be in the right place at the right time and in good weather. Over six years, Minato made five attempts at the appropriate position of the moon, but the weather did not allow him to get a good photo. The sixth attempt in December of this year was finally successful.
Although the moon was in the crescent phase, thanks to a sufficiently long exposure, the entire upper half was illuminated by twice-reflected sunlight – this effect is called the da Vinci glow. The image shows the texture of the darkened part of our satellite.
