Early on the evening of January 31, 2009, the waxing crescent moon painted a desert hillside and the night sky with its gentle light and created a marvelous photo-op for photographers enjoying my Night Sky Photography workshop.

In the heavens the bright constellation of Orion take center-stage, as its three "belt" stars point downward toward Sirius, the most brilliant star in the night sky, and the relatively faint winter Milky Way hangs vertically to the left of Orion.  Even on a night with some moonlight, the stars over the Anza-Borrego Desert illustrate why the International Dark Sky Association has designated Borrego Springs as California's first (and only) International Dark Sky Community.

●   Date / Time:  January 31, 2009 / 8:08 p.m. PST
●   Photo Details:  Canon EOS 20D, Canon 14mm f/2.8L lens, ISO 800, 30 seconds at f/2.8
●   Processing Details:  CaptureOne 4.8.3, Noise Ninja 2.3.2, PTGui Pro, Photoshop CS2
●   Location:  Coachwhip Canyon, Anza-Borrego Desert, Borrego Springs, California, USA