Sky Watcher

FALSE DAWN: A few nights ago, photographer Rob Ratkowski stood atop the summit of the Haleakala volcano in Maui under a velvety, star-strewn sky. Daybreak was was only moments away when a pale glow lanced up from the eastern horizon--but it wasn't the sunrise, it was the Zodiacal Light:
Zodiacal light is sunlight reflected from countless tiny grains of space dust orbiting the sun. These grains are sprinkled among the orbits of the planets, making a vast dusty pancake as big as the Solar System itself. For people in the Northern Hemisphere, the next two months are a great time to see Zodiacal light because the dust band is oriented nearly vertical at sunrise. Says, Ratkowski, "I was amazed how bright it really is, washing out the stars within its glow."
Photo:
http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2006/26aug06/Ratkowski.jpg