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FYI! Last read at 10:27 on 2025/04/10.

What's wrong with this picture?

It took a few days for the penny to drop as to why things didn't "look right". This evening, it all became clear.

No airplanes. No airplane trails.

The glowing thing isn't a star. It's Venus, at it's greatest eastern elongation. That means it is at its furthest point from the sun, and thus it's highest point above the horizon.
But, wait, isn't that a photo of the western sunset? Correct. It's a bit confusing that a planet in the west is called an eastern elongation; but basically it is this - as seen from the point of view of the Earth, the planet Venus is "to the east of" (or following) the sun.
Whatever compass point the sun is at, at any given time, Venus will be at a more easterly point.

 

By the way, that little blur on the left just above the second distant tree? A bat. They live in the attic and/or in the walls.

 

 

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Gavin Wraith, 24th March 2020, 21:36
Lovely topical picture. You should offer it here: 
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
David Pilling, 24th March 2020, 22:47
Seeing things that aren't there is always hardest. 
There is Big Jet TV on YouTube, although there are many less planes than usual, plenty are taking off from Heathrow.

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