This picturesque moonlit scene was taken next to a small village in the Mecsek moountains in Hungary. Amateur astrophotographer Béla Papp took the image near the village of Óbánya in southwest Hungary.
"It was all calm and quiet. I wanted to capture this peace in the pictures. It was minus 14 Celsius (6 degrees F) but I did not feel cold because of the excitement inside," Papp wrote in an email to Space.com.
In the image, one can see the Big Dipper, a grouping of eight stars that resemble a large spoon in the sky. Seven of these stars are visible at a glance, while the eighth is a double star that is just detectable with the naked eye when there is a clear night. Those living north of the equator simply need to look toward the northern part of the night sky to locate the seven bright stars that comprise the Big Dipper, also called the Plough. It is one of the most recognizable patterns in the sky and one of the easiest for the novice to find. [Best Beginner Astrophotography Telescopes]
To see more amazing night sky photos submitted by Space.com readers, visit our astrophotography archive.
Editor's note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.
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