GALLERY VENUS MEETS THE DAUGHTERS OF ATLAS Osama Fathi On April 14th, brilliant Venus shone between the Hyades open cluster (Caldwell 41) at upper left and M45, the Pleiades (middle), with Mercury peeking just above the mountainous horizon of the Black Desert in Egypt. The streak of reddish nebulosity at top right is NGC 1499, also known as the California Nebula. DETAILS: Nikon Z6 camera with a 28-to-70-mm lens. Stack of 13 exposures recorded at both ISO 800 and 3200, f/4. 78 AUGUST 2023 * SKY & TELESCOPE