Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 August 10 Five Meters over Mars Image Credit:NASA,JPL-Caltech,Ingenuity Explanation: On mission sol 872 (Earth date August 3) Ingenuity snappedthis sharp imageon its 54th flightabove the surfaceof the Red Planet.During the flight the Mars Helicopter hovered about 5 meters,or just over 16 feet, above the Jezero crater floor.Tips of Ingenuity's landing legs peek over the left and right edgesin the camera's field of view.Tracks visible near the upper right corner lead to thePerseverance Mars Rover, seen looking on from a distanceat the top right edge of the frame.Plannedas a brief "pop-up" flight, Ingenuity's 54th flight lasted less than 25seconds.It followed Ingenuity's 53rd flight made on July 22 that resulted inan unscheduled landing. Tomorrow's picture: 255 hours<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFCNASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2023 August 4 - Moonrays of August Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 August 4 Moonrays of August Image Credit &Copyright:Gianni Tumino Explanation: A Full Moon rose as the Sun set on August 1.Near perigee, the closest point in its almost moonthly orbit,the brighter than average lunar diskilluminated night skies around planet Earth as the secondsupermoon of 2023.Seen here above Ragusa, Sicily, cloud banks cast diverging shadows throughthe supermoonlit skies, creating dramatic lunarcrepuscular rays.The next Full Moon in 2023 will alsoshine on an August night.Rising as the Sun sets on August 30/31, this secondFull Moon in a month is known as a Blue Moon.Blue moonsoccur only once every 2 or 3 yearsbecause lunar phases take almost a calendar month (29.5 days)to go through a complete cycle.But August's Blue Moon will also be near perigee, the third supermoonin 2023. Tomorrow's picture: a robin's egg<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFCNASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech....

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 August 5 NGC 1360: The Robin's Egg Nebula Image Credit &Copyright:Dong Liang Explanation: This pretty nebulalies some 1,500 light-years away,its shape and color in this telescopic viewreminiscent of a robin's egg.The cosmic cloud spans about 3 light-years, nestled securely within theboundaries of the southern constellation Fornax.Recognizedas a planetary nebula, egg-shaped NGC 1360 doesn't represent a beginningthough.Instead it corresponds to a brief and final phase in theevolution of an aging star.In fact,visible at the center of the nebula, the central star of NGC 1360is known to be a binary star system likely consisting of two evolvedwhite dwarf stars,less massive but much hotter than the Sun. Their intense and otherwise invisible ultraviolet radiation hasstripped away electrons from the atoms in their mutuallysurrounding gaseous shroud.The predominant blue-green hue of NGC 1360 seen here is thestrong emission produced as electrons recombine withdoubly ionized oxygen atoms. Tomorrow's picture: supernova remnant<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy...

APOD: 2023 August 3 - The Falcon and the Redstone Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 August 3 The Falcon and the Redstone Image Credit &Copyright:Matt Haskell Explanation: In a photo from the early hours of July 29 (UTC),a Redstone rocket and Mercury capsuleare on display at Cape CanaveralLaunch Complex 5.Beyond the Redstone, the 8 minute long exposure hascaptured the arcing launch streak of a SpaceXFalcon Heavy rocket.The Falcon's heavycommunications satellite payload, at a record setting 9 metric tons,is bound forgeosynchronous orbitsome 22,000 miles above planet Earth.The historic launch of a Redstone rocketcarried astronautAlan Shepardon a suborbital spaceflight in May 1961to an altitude of about 116 miles.Near the top of the frame, this Falcon rocket's tworeusable side boosters separate and execute brief entry burns.Theyreturnedto land side by side at Canaveral's Landing Zone 1 and 2in the distance. Tomorrow's picture: moonrays<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFCNASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 August 4 Moonrays of August Image Credit &Copyright:Gianni Tumino Explanation: A Full Moon rose as the Sun set on August 1.Near perigee, the closest point in its almost moonthly orbit,the brighter than average lunar diskilluminated night skies around planet Earth as the secondsupermoon of 2023.Seen here above Ragusa, Sicily, cloud banks cast diverging shadows throughthe supermoonlit skies, creating dramatic lunarcrepuscular rays.The next Full Moon in 2023 will alsoshine on an August night.Rising as the Sun sets on August 30/31, this secondFull Moon in a month is known as a Blue Moon.Blue moonsoccur only once every 2 or 3 yearsbecause lunar phases take almost a calendar month (29.5 days)to go through a complete cycle.But August's Blue Moon will also be near perigee, the third supermoonin 2023. Tomorrow's picture: a robin's egg<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFCNASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 August 3 The Falcon and the Redstone Image Credit &Copyright:Matt Haskell Explanation: In a photo from the early hours of July 29 (UTC),a Redstone rocket and Mercury capsuleare on display at Cape CanaveralLaunch Complex 5.Beyond the Redstone, the 8 minute long exposure hascaptured the arcing launch streak of a SpaceXFalcon Heavy rocket.The Falcon's heavycommunications satellite payload, at a record setting 9 metric tons,is bound forgeosynchronous orbitsome 22,000 miles above planet Earth.The historic launch of a Redstone rocketcarried astronautAlan Shepardon a suborbital spaceflight in May 1961to an altitude of about 116 miles.Near the top of the frame, this Falcon rocket's tworeusable side boosters separate and execute brief entry burns.Theyreturnedto land side by side at Canaveral's Landing Zone 1 and 2in the distance. Tomorrow's picture: moonrays<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFCNASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 July 29 Apollo 11: Catching Some Sun Image Credit:Apollo 11,NASA (Image scanned by Kipp Teague) Explanation: Bright sunlight glints as long dark shadows mark this image of thesurface of the Moon.It was takenfifty-fouryears ago, July 20, 1969, by Apollo 11 astronautNeil Armstrong,the first to walk on the lunar surface.Picturedis the mission's lunar module, the Eagle,and spacesuited lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin.Aldrin is unfurling a long sheet of foil also known as theSolar Wind Composition Experiment.Exposed facing the Sun, the foil trapped particles streamingoutward in the solar wind, catching a sample ofmaterial from the Sun itself.Along with moon rocks and lunar soil samples,the solar wind collector was returned for analysisin earthbound laboratories. Tomorrow's picture: Sunday's Childe<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFCNASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2023 July 28 - Young Stars, Stellar Jets Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 July 28 Young Stars, Stellar Jets Image Credit:NASA,ESA,CSA,Processing: Joseph DePasquale(STScI) Explanation: High-speed outflows of molecular gas from a pair of actively formingyoung stars shine in infrared light, revealing themselves inthis NIRcam imagefrom the James Webb Space Telescope.Cataloged as HH (Herbig-Haro) 46/47, the young stars arelodged within a dark nebulathat is largely opaque when viewed in visible light. The pair lie at the center of the prominent reddishdiffraction spikesin the NIRcam image. Theirenergetic stellar jetsextend for nearly a light-year,burrowing intothe dark interstellar material.A tantalizing object to explore with Webb's infrared capabilities, thisyoung star systemis relatively nearby,located only some 1,140 light-years distant in the nauticalconstellation Vela. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFCNASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2023 July 27 - Galaxies in the River Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 July 27 Galaxies in the River Image Credit &License:CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA; R. Colombari, M. Zamani & D. de Martin(NSF’s NOIRLab) Explanation: Large galaxies grow by eating small ones.Even our own galaxy engages ina sort of galacticcannibalism, absorbing small galaxies that are too close andare captured bythe Milky Way's gravity.In fact, thepractice is commonin the universe and illustrated by this striking pair of interactinggalaxiesfrom the banks of the southern constellationEridanus,The River.Located over 50 million light years away,the large, distorted spiral NGC 1532 is seenlocked in a gravitational struggle withdwarf galaxy NGC 1531, a struggle the smaller galaxy willeventually lose.Seen nearly edge-on, spiral NGC 1532 spans about 100,000 light-years.The merging galaxies are capturedin this sharp image from theDark Energy Camera mounted on the National Science Foundation’sBlanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-AmericanObservatory in Chile.The NGC 1532/1531 pair is thought to be similarto the well-studied system of face-on spiral and small companionknown as M51. Tomorrow's picture: stellar jets<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors &...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 July 28 Young Stars, Stellar Jets Image Credit:NASA,ESA,CSA,Processing: Joseph DePasquale(STScI) Explanation: High-speed outflows of molecular gas from a pair of actively formingyoung stars shine in infrared light, revealing themselves inthis NIRcam imagefrom the James Webb Space Telescope.Cataloged as HH (Herbig-Haro) 46/47, the young stars arelodged within a dark nebulathat is largely opaque when viewed in visible light. The pair lie at the center of the prominent reddishdiffraction spikesin the NIRcam image. Theirenergetic stellar jetsextend for nearly a light-year,burrowing intothe dark interstellar material.A tantalizing object to explore with Webb's infrared capabilities, thisyoung star systemis relatively nearby,located only some 1,140 light-years distant in the nauticalconstellation Vela. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFCNASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 July 27 Galaxies in the River Image Credit &License:CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA; R. Colombari, M. Zamani & D. de Martin(NSF’s NOIRLab) Explanation: Large galaxies grow by eating small ones.Even our own galaxy engages ina sort of galacticcannibalism, absorbing small galaxies that are too close andare captured bythe Milky Way's gravity.In fact, thepractice is commonin the universe and illustrated by this striking pair of interactinggalaxiesfrom the banks of the southern constellationEridanus,The River.Located over 50 million light years away,the large, distorted spiral NGC 1532 is seenlocked in a gravitational struggle withdwarf galaxy NGC 1531, a struggle the smaller galaxy willeventually lose.Seen nearly edge-on, spiral NGC 1532 spans about 100,000 light-years.The merging galaxies are capturedin this sharp image from theDark Energy Camera mounted on the National Science Foundation’sBlanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-AmericanObservatory in Chile.The NGC 1532/1531 pair is thought to be similarto the well-studied system of face-on spiral and small companionknown as M51. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU)...

The combined light of

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 July 22 Apollo 11: Armstrong's Lunar Selfie Image Credit: NASA, Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong; Processing: Michael Ranger Explanation: A photograph of Buzz Aldrinstanding on the Moon taken byNeil Armstrong,was digitally reversed to create this lunar selfie.Captured in July 1969 following the Apollo 11 moon landing,Armstrong's original photographrecorded not only themagnificent desolationof an unfamiliar world, but Armstrong himself reflected in Aldrin's curved visor. In the unwrapped image,thespherical distortionof the reflection in Aldrin's helmet has been reversed. The transformed view features Armstrong himself from Aldrin's perspective.Since Armstrong took the original picture,today the imagerepresents a fifty-four year old lunar selfie. Aldrin's visor reflection in the original image appears here on the left.Bright (but distorted) planetEarth hangs in the lunar skyabove Armstrong's figure, toward the upper right.A foil-wrapped leg of the Eagle landerand Aldrin's long shadow stretchingacross the lunar surface are prominently visible. In 2024NASA's Artemis II missionwill return humans to the Moon. Tomorrow's picture: unexpected clock<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry...

APOD: 2023 July 20 - M64: The Black Eye Galaxy Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 July 20 M64: The Black Eye Galaxy Close Up Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble,HLA; Processing: Jonathan Lodge Explanation: This magnificent spiral galaxy isMessier 64,often called the Black Eye Galaxy or theSleeping Beauty Galaxyfor itsdark-lidded appearancein telescopic views.The spiral's central region,about 7,400 light-years across, is pictured in thisreprocessed image from the Hubble Space Telescope.M64 lies some 17 million light-years distant in theotherwise well-groomed northern constellationComa Berenices.The enormous dust clouds partially obscuringM64's central regionare laced with young, blue star clusters and thereddish glow of hydrogen associated with star forming regions. But imposing clouds of dust are not this galaxy's only peculiar feature.Observations show that M64 is actuallycomposed of two concentric, counter-rotating systems.While all the stars in M64 rotate in the same direction as theinterstellar gas in the galaxy's central region, gas in the outerregions, extending to about 40,000 light-years, rotates inthe opposite direction.The dusty eyeand bizarre rotation are likely the result of abillion year old merger of two different galaxies. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space<| Archive| Submissions |...

The combined light of

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 July 20 M64: The Black Eye Galaxy Close Up Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble,HLA; Processing: Jonathan Lodge Explanation: This magnificent spiral galaxy isMessier 64,often called the Black Eye Galaxy or theSleeping Beauty Galaxyfor itsdark-lidded appearancein telescopic views.The spiral's central region,about 7,400 light-years across, is pictured in thisreprocessed image from the Hubble Space Telescope.M64 lies some 17 million light-years distant in theotherwise well-groomed northern constellationComa Berenices.The enormous dust clouds partially obscuringM64's central regionare laced with young, blue star clusters and thereddish glow of hydrogen associated with star forming regions. But imposing clouds of dust are not this galaxy's only peculiar feature.Observations show that M64 is actuallycomposed of two concentric, counter-rotating systems.While all the stars in M64 rotate in the same direction as theinterstellar gas in the galaxy's central region, gas in the outerregions, extending to about 40,000 light-years, rotates inthe opposite direction.The dusty eyeand bizarre rotation are likely the result of abillion year old merger of two different galaxies. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education|...

APOD: 2023 July 13 - Webb's Rho Ophiuchi Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 July 13 Webb's Rho Ophiuchi Image Credit:NASA,ESA,CSA,STScI,Klaus Pontoppidan (STScI),Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI) Explanation: A mere 390 light-years away,Sun-like stars and future planetary systems are forming inthe Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud complex,the closest star-forming region to our fair planet.The James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam peeredinto the nearby natal chaosto capture this infrared image atan inspiring scale.The spectacular cosmic snapshot was released to celebrate the successfulfirst year ofWebb's explorationof the Universe.The frame spansless than a light-year across the Rho Ophiuchi regionand contains about 50 young stars.Brighter stars clearly sport Webb's characteristic pattern ofdiffraction spikes.Huge jets of shocked molecular hydrogenblasting fromnewborn stars are red in the image, withthe large, yellowish dusty cavity carved out by the energeticyoung star near its center.Near some stars in the stunning image are shadows cast by theirprotoplanetary disks. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 July 15 Webb's First Deep Field Image Credit: NASA,ESA,CSA,STScI,NIRCam Explanation: This stunning infrared imagewas releasedone year agoas the James Webb Space Telescope began its exploration of the cosmos.The viewof theearly Universetoward the southern constellation Volanswas achieved in 12.5 hours of exposure with Webb's NIRCam instrument.Of course the stars with six spikes are well within our ownMilky Way.Their diffractionpattern is characteristic of Webb's 18 hexagonal mirrorsegments operating together as a single 6.5 meter diameter primarymirror.The thousands of galaxies flooding the field of view are members of thedistant galaxy cluster SMACS0723-73, some 4.6 billion light-years away.Luminous arcs that seem to infest the deep field areeven more distant galaxies though.Their images are distorted and magnified by thedark matter dominated mass of the galaxy cluster, an effectknown as gravitational lensing.Analyzing lightfrom two separate arcs below the bright spiky star,Webb's NIRISS instrument indicates the arcsare both images of the same background galaxy.And that galaxy's light took about 9.5 billion years to reach theJames Webb Space Telescope. Tomorrow's picture: view with a thrill<| Archive| Submissions | Index|...

Comet C/2023 E1 ATLAS near Perihelion

Comet C 2023 E1 ATLAS near Perihelion