In a captivating video, astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy shared visuals of Saturn reemerging from behind the Moon on social media, attracting many astronomy enthusiasts.
In the footage shared by McCarthy on X, Saturn appears in black and white, with its rings clearly visible. The 1.03-minute clip shows Saturn slowly emerging from the Moon’s shadow, offering a dramatic view of the two celestial bodies.
McCarthy used an infrared filter to enhance the visuals and brightened the shadows to improve Saturn’s visibility.He also filmed Saturn’s ingress, the moment it disappeared behind the Moon, in full color.
“Watch Saturn emerge from behind the moon in real-time. The only editing done to this clip was brightening the shadows since Saturn was so much darker than the full moon. This was captured using an infrared filter, which is why it’s a b&w clip. The ingress was captured in color,” McCarthy posted on X.
McCarthy’s video shows occultations, a unique phenomenon where one celestial body passes in front of another, providing valuable opportunities for astronomers.
Social media users were amazed by the video, with one commenting, “Wow! What an incredible transformation you’ve made.” Another user thanked McCarthy for well explaining “the luminosity difference between the Moon and Saturn.” One X user also praised McCarthy’s photography, calling it “Amazing photography!”