Planetary party portrait above Paranal!
In this image, taken in early February, the planets of the Solar System appear to parade one after the other above our Paranal Observatory in #Chile. Joining the party are the #Moon, the #MilkyWay, and a special guest: comet C/2024 G3 ☄️
A question we often get is whether the planets orbit the Sun in the same plane as the disc of the Milky Way. This image shows that's not the case: the plane of the Solar System –the ecliptic– is tilted about 60º relative to the Milky Way.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2510a/
📷 B.Haeussler/ESO
#astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics #astrophotography #space #science