Distance | 251 Kilometers |
By | Juanjo Diaz de Argandoña |
Camera | Nikon D5100 @ ISO160 – 1/400 |
Lens | ED80 APO Refractor Telescope (900 mm. equiv.) |
Date | December 23rd 2014 – 9:30 |
Another picture from the Historic day of 23rd of December, 2014.
The clearness of that day allowed me to take pictures of almost every peak in the horizon, not even caring about the distance to it
This time, the area around the highest peak in Pyrenees, and the third in height of Spain, Aneto at 3.404 meters above sea level.
This picture was taken the same day as this other panorama around Monte Perdido area and this amazing picture of Vignemale.
In this picture, the highest peaks of Pyrenees together with some other very relevant peaks can be seen, like for example Cotiella, Punta Suelza and Pic de Batoua, all of them widely know by mountaineers.
The conditions were the best I’ve ever seen, clear, sunny and everything well illuminated.
This last condition is very important for distant sightning, and it can be checked in our visibility guidelines, great to start discovering this world. The illumination of Pyrenees range was perfect from the beggining of the day, as the sun was located South of my position, allowing the light to hit the southern part of the mountains, the one that I was looking to.
This condition only happens certain days around winter solstice, when the sun rises in its southernmost position. Trying to take this picture in other day will result in the mountains being illuminated from behind, and then loosing the great benefit of direct sunlight.
Looking at this map, showing the distribution of sighting, it can be easily understood how the sun illuminates the escene from the South (from behind the viewing position) and how if the Sun is in front ot this position, the mountains will be under too much contrast to appreciate detail.

Details can clearly be seen in the image, as for example the hills of Cotiella (2.912 m.a.s.l. / 233 km.):

Or the snow layers in Punta Suelza (2.973 m.a.s.l. / 247 km.):

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