Photographer Snaps Serene Moonlit View of Hungary Village

Moonlit Scene from Hungary
Amateur astrophotographer Béla Papp took this picturesque moonlit scene near the village of Óbánya in southwest Hungary. (Image credit: Béla Papp)

This picturesque moonlit scene was taken next to a small village in the Mecsek moountains in Hungary. Amateur astrophotographer Béla Papp took the image near the village of Óbánya in southwest Hungary.

"It was all calm and quiet. I wanted to capture this peace in the pictures. It was minus 14 Celsius (6 degrees F) but I did not feel cold because of the excitement inside," Papp wrote in an email to Space.com.

In the image, one can see the Big Dipper, a grouping of eight stars that resemble a large spoon in the sky. Seven of these stars are visible at a glance, while the eighth is a double star that is just detectable with the naked eye when there is a clear night. Those living north of the equator simply need to look toward the northern part of the night sky to locate the seven bright stars that comprise the Big Dipper, also called the Plough. It is one of the most recognizable patterns in the sky and one of the easiest for the novice to find. [Best Beginner Astrophotography Telescopes]

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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.