Surreal Photo Shows 'Belt of Venus' in Our Pink Sky

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Trees Snow Belt of Venus Skywatching
Trees covered in snow create a surreal arctic landscape as the Belt of Venus stretches in the background. (Image credit: Niccolò Bonfadini)

Giant trees cloaked in snow stand guard as the atmospheric blush known as the belt of Venus glows in the background of this surreal skywatching photo.

Astrophotographer Niccolò Bonfadini took this stunning picture in the Finnish Lapland in the winter of 2011. With the sun rising behind the photographer, the Belt of Venus is the pinkish streak caused by the atmosphere reflecting light from the setting or rising sun — giving the reddish hue.

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Nina Sen
Contributing Writer and Producer

Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.