On June 7, 2023 at 21:34 I was lucky enough to observe, and photograph, a lunar heiligenschein.
Seeing the heiligenschein phenomenon with the Sun is not rare, but being able to see it with the Moon as the light source is truly extraordinary. I had the full Moon behind me, and it had just risen. In front of me there was Venus near the star Elnath in Taurus. To my great surprise I saw the lunar heiligenschein phenomenon with the naked eye. I know heiligenschein well because it is easily visible in sunlight from the control tower, but I had never seen it by moonlight. At this point I went up onto the roof and took the photo.
Heiligenschein (German for "halo") is an optical phenomenon that creates a bright halo around the shadow of the observer's head. It is typically observed on clear mornings when a surface (generally grassy) is covered with dew and the droplets are arranged so as to focus a magnified image of the Sun (or the Moon) onto the blades of grass. This image then reflects onto the figure or object opposite the grassy surface, creating a bright "halo" around it.
Photo details: Canon Eos 1DxMK2 camera; with Canon EF 8-15/4 fisheye lens; stopped down to f/4.5; iso200; 30-second exposure.
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