70 ASTRONOMY • MAY 2020READER GALLERY
Cosmic portraits
- NOT THE MILKY WAY
The gegenschein (German for
“counterglow”) is a faint, diffuse
patch of light sometimes seen
directly opposite the Sun. This view
is from Yaha Pass, some 14,800 feet
(4,500 meters) above sea level. The
mountains include Mount Gongga,
the highest peak in Sichuan
Province, China. Yellow and green
airglow is also visible in the image.
- Jeff Dai
- NOT IDENTICAL TWINS
Open clusters M46 (left) and M47
lie in the constellation Puppis the
Stern. M47 is the brighter of the two,
but M46 offers a bonus — planetary
nebula NGC 2438 lies in the same
line of sight. The cluster’s stars are
5,400 light-years away, while NGC
2438 is a bit less than 3,000 light-
years distant. • Dean Salman
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