Saharan Dust and the Night Sky

Photographer: Giovanni TuminoSummary Author: Giovanni Tumino

For several days in late March of this year, skies across southwestern Europe were filled with Saharan dust, carried northward by sirocco winds from Algeria. The result was a Martian-like sky that essentially prevented any astrophotography. To better render this phenomenon, I remade a photo of circumpolar star trails I took four years ago during the COVID-19 lockdown when the night sky was especially clear. Note that the shooting modes and photo details of the two pictures are identical, but the outcome is obviously very different. Photo taken on March 31, 2024, from the terrace of my home in Ragusa, Sicily.

Ragusa, Sicily, Italy Coordinates: 36.9152, 14.7249

Related Links:Views of Saharan Dust over the Canary Islands of SpainDusty Differences Between Mars and Earth