Orion Shines Over Green Mustard Fields in India

Orion Over Green Fields India Talwar
Veteran astrophotographer Ajay Talwar of the photography group The World at Night captured this image of Orion from Uttarakhand, India, on Dec. 19, 2012. (Image credit: Ajay Talwar / The World at Night)

The stars of Orion dazzle over green mustard fields in India in this beautiful night sky photo.

Veteran astrophotographer Ajay Talwar of the photography group The World at Night (TWAN) captured this image from Uttarakhand, India, on Dec. 19, 2012.

"Winter stars of Orion rising in the evening usually means a snowy landscape, but here in India it means it is time for the winter delicacy called Sarson, or mustard. The greens are cooked with a variety of spices and served with roti (bread) made from corn," Talwar wrote on the TWAN website. 

In the image, Jupiter can be seen above the stars of Orion. Nearby, the constellation of Taurus, the bull, is visible. Skywatchers can spot these two constellations easily by looking for the recognizable three-star belt of Orion, and then extending an imaginary line to the right and upward for Taurus.

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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.