APOD: 2022 October 9 - Auroras over Northern Canada 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. 2022 October 9 Auroras over Northern Canada Image Credit & Copyright: Kwon, O Chul(TWAN) Explanation: Gusting solar windsand blasts of charged particles from the Sunresulted in several rewarding nights of aurorasback in 2014 December, near the peak of the last 11-year solar cycle. The featured image captured dramatic auroras stretching across a sky near the town of Yellowknife in northern Canada. The auroras were so bright that they not only inspired awe, but were easily visible on an image exposure of only 1.3 seconds.A video taken concurrently shows the dancing sky lights evolving in real time as tourists, many there just to see auroras, respond with cheers.The conical dwellings on the image right are tipis, while far in the background, near the image center, is the constellation of Orion. Auroras may increase again over the next few years as our Sun again approaches solar maximum. Tomorrow's picture: double lunar analemma <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU)...

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APOD: 2022 October 8 - Two Comets in Southern Skies 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. 2022 October 8 Two Comets in Southern Skies Image Credit &Copyright: Jose J. Chambo (Cometografia) Explanation: Heading for its closest approach to the Sunor perihelion on December 20, cometC/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) remains a sightfor telescopic observers as it sweepsthrough planet Earth's southern hemisphere skies. First time visitorfrom theremote Oort cloudthis comet PanSTARRS sportsa greenish coma and whitish dust tail about half adegree long at the upper left in a deep image from September 21.It also shares the starry field of view toward the constellationScorpius with another comet,73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3,seen about 1 degreebelow and rightof PanSTARRS.Astronomers estimate that first time visitor cometC/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS)has been inbound from the Oort cloud for some 3 million yearsalong a hyperbolic orbit.Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 is more familiar though. The periodic comet loops through its ownelliptical orbit, from just beyond the orbit of Jupiter to the vicinityof Earth's orbit, once every 5.4 years.Just passing in the night, this comet PanSTARRS is about 20light-minutes from Earth in theSeptember 21 image.Seen to be disintegrating since 1995,Schwassmann-Wachmann 3was...

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. 2022 October 9 Auroras over Northern Canada Image Credit & Copyright: Kwon, O Chul(TWAN) Explanation: Gusting solar windsand blasts of charged particles from the Sunresulted in several rewarding nights of aurorasback in 2014 December, near the peak of the last 11-year solar cycle. The featured image captured dramatic auroras stretching across a sky near the town of Yellowknife in northern Canada. The auroras were so bright that they not only inspired awe, but were easily visible on an image exposure of only 1.3 seconds.A video taken concurrently shows the dancing sky lights evolving in real time as tourists, many there just to see auroras, respond with cheers.The conical dwellings on the image right are tipis, while far in the background, near the image center, is the constellation of Orion. Auroras may increase again over the next few years as our Sun again approaches solar maximum. Tomorrow's picture: double lunar analemma <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official:...

APOD: 2022 October 7 - In Ganymede's Shadow 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. 2022 October 7 In Ganymede's Shadow Image Credit &Copyright: Andrew McCarthy Explanation: At opposition,opposite the Sun in Earth's sky,late last month Jupiter is also approaching perihelion,the closest point to the Sun in its elliptical orbit,early next year.That makesJupiter exceptionally closeto our fair planet,currently resulting in excellent views of theSolar System's ruling gas giant.On September 27, thissharp image of Jupiterwas recorded with a small telescope from a backyard in Florence, Arizona.The stacked video frames reveal the massive worldbounded byplanet girdling winds.Dark belts and light zones span the gas giant, along with rotatingoval storms and its signatureGreat Red Spot.Galilean moon Ganymede is below and right in the frame.TheSolar System's largest moonand its shadow are in transit across the southernJovian cloud tops. Tomorrow's picture: two comets<| 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 /GSFC,NASA ScienceActivation& 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. 2022 October 8 Two Comets in Southern Skies Image Credit &Copyright: Jose J. Chambo (Cometografia) Explanation: Heading for its closest approach to the Sunor perihelion on December 20, cometC/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) remains a sightfor telescopic observers as it sweepsthrough planet Earth's southern hemisphere skies. First time visitorfrom theremote Oort cloudthis comet PanSTARRS sportsa greenish coma and whitish dust tail about half adegree long at the upper left in a deep image from September 21.It also shares the starry field of view toward the constellationScorpius with another comet,73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3,seen about 1 degreebelow and rightof PanSTARRS.Astronomers estimate that first time visitor cometC/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS)has been inbound from the Oort cloud for some 3 million yearsalong a hyperbolic orbit.Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 is more familiar though. The periodic comet loops through its ownelliptical orbit, from just beyond the orbit of Jupiter to the vicinityof Earth's orbit, once every 5.4 years.Just passing in the night, this comet PanSTARRS is about 20light-minutes from Earth in theSeptember 21 image.Seen to be disintegrating since 1995,Schwassmann-Wachmann 3was about 7.8 light-minutes away. Tomorrow's...

APOD: 2022 October 6 - NGC 4631: The Whale 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. 2022 October 6 NGC 4631: The Whale Galaxy Image Credit &Copyright: Michael Sherick Explanation: NGC 4631is a big beautiful spiral galaxy.Seen edge-on, it liesonly 25 million light-years away in the well-trained northernconstellationCanes Venatici.The galaxy's slightly distorted wedge shape suggests tosome a cosmic herring and to others its popular moniker,The Whale Galaxy.Either way,it is similar in size to our own Milky Way.In this sharp color image,the galaxy's yellowish core, dark dust clouds,bright blue star clusters, and red star forming regions are easyto spot.A companion galaxy, the small elliptical NGC 4627 is just above theWhale Galaxy.Faintstar streams seen in deep images are the remnants of smallcompanion galaxies disrupted by repeated encounters with the Whalein the distant past.The Whale Galaxy is also known to have spouteda halo of hot gas glowingin X-rays. Tomorrow's picture: jovian close-up<| 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 /GSFC,NASA...

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. 2022 October 7 In Ganymede's Shadow Image Credit &Copyright: Andrew McCarthy Explanation: At opposition,opposite the Sun in Earth's sky,late last month Jupiter is also approaching perihelion,the closest point to the Sun in its elliptical orbit,early next year.That makesJupiter exceptionally closeto our fair planet,currently resulting in excellent views of theSolar System's ruling gas giant.On September 27, thissharp image of Jupiterwas recorded with a small telescope from a backyard in Florence, Arizona.The stacked video frames reveal the massive worldbounded byplanet girdling winds.Dark belts and light zones span the gas giant, along with rotatingoval storms and its signatureGreat Red Spot.Galilean moon Ganymede is below and right in the frame.TheSolar System's largest moonand its shadow are in transit across the southernJovian cloud tops. 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 /GSFC,NASA ScienceActivation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2022 October 5 - Expanding Plume from DARTs Impact 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. Expanding Plume from DART's Impact Video Credit: Les Makes Observatory, J. Berthier, F. Vachier, A. Klotz, P. Thierry, T. Santana-Ros, ESA NEOCC, D. Föhring, E. Petrescu, M. Micheli Explanation: What happens if you crash a spaceship into an asteroid?In the case of NASA's DART spaceship and the small asteroid Dimorphos, as happened last week, you get quite a plume.The goal of the planned impact was planetary protection -- to show that the path of an asteroid can be slightly altered, so that, if done right, a big space rock will miss the Earth.The high brightness of the plume, though, was unexpected by many, and what it means remains a topic of research.One possibility is that 170-meter wide Dimorphos is primarily a rubble pile asteroid and the collision dispersed some of the rubble in the pile. The featured time-lapse video covers about 20 minutes and was taken from the Les Makes Observatory on France's Reunion Island, off the southeast coast of southern Africa. One of many Earth-based observatories...

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. 2022 October 6 NGC 4631: The Whale Galaxy Image Credit &Copyright: Michael Sherick Explanation: NGC 4631is a big beautiful spiral galaxy.Seen edge-on, it liesonly 25 million light-years away in the well-trained northernconstellationCanes Venatici.The galaxy's slightly distorted wedge shape suggests tosome a cosmic herring and to others its popular moniker,The Whale Galaxy.Either way,it is similar in size to our own Milky Way.In this sharp color image,the galaxy's yellowish core, dark dust clouds,bright blue star clusters, and red star forming regions are easyto spot.A companion galaxy, the small elliptical NGC 4627 is just above theWhale Galaxy.Faintstar streams seen in deep images are the remnants of smallcompanion galaxies disrupted by repeated encounters with the Whalein the distant past.The Whale Galaxy is also known to have spouteda halo of hot gas glowingin X-rays. Tomorrow's picture: jovian close-up<| 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 /GSFC,NASA ScienceActivation& 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. Expanding Plume from DART's Impact Video Credit: Les Makes Observatory, J. Berthier, F. Vachier, A. Klotz, P. Thierry, T. Santana-Ros, ESA NEOCC, D. Föhring, E. Petrescu, M. Micheli Explanation: What happens if you crash a spaceship into an asteroid?In the case of NASA's DART spaceship and the small asteroid Dimorphos, as happened last week, you get quite a plume.The goal of the planned impact was planetary protection -- to show that the path of an asteroid can be slightly altered, so that, if done right, a big space rock will miss the Earth.The high brightness of the plume, though, was unexpected by many, and what it means remains a topic of research.One possibility is that 170-meter wide Dimorphos is primarily a rubble pile asteroid and the collision dispersed some of the rubble in the pile. The featured time-lapse video covers about 20 minutes and was taken from the Les Makes Observatory on France's Reunion Island, off the southeast coast of southern Africa. One of many Earth-based observatories following the impact, the initial...

APOD: 2022 October 4 - Star Forming Eagle Nebula without Stars 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. 2022 October 4 Star-Forming Eagle Nebula without Stars Image Credit & Copyright: Yannick Akar Explanation: The whole thing looks like an eagle. A closer look at the Eagle Nebula's center,however, shows thebrightregion is actually a window into the center of a larger dark shell of dust. Through this window, a brightly-lit workshop appearswhere a whole open cluster of stars is being formed. In this cavity tall pillars and round globules of dark dust and cold molecular gasremain where stars are still forming. Paradoxically, it is perhaps easier to appreciate this impressive factory of star formation by seeing it without its stars -- which have been digitally removed in the featured image.The Eagle emission nebula,tagged M16, lies about 6500light years away, spans about 20 light-years, and is visible withbinoculars towardthe constellation of the Serpent(Serpens). Creating this picture involved over 22 hours of imaging and combining colors emitted specifically by hydrogen (red), and oxygen (blue). Tomorrow's picture: space dart debris <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS|...

APOD: 2022 October 3 - Jupiters Europa from Spacecraft Juno 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. 2022 October 3 Jupiter's Europa from Spacecraft Juno Image Credit & License: NASA,JPL-Caltech,SwRI,MSSS;Processing: Andrea Luck Explanation: What mysteries might be solved by peering into this crystal ball? In this case, the ball is actually a moon of Jupiter, the crystals are ice, and the moon is not only dirty but cracked beyond repair. Nevertheless, speculation is rampant that oceans exist under Europa's fractured ice-plains that could support life. Europa, roughly the size of Earth's Moon, is pictured here in an image taken a few days ago when the Jupiter-orbiting robotic spacecraft Juno passed within 325 kilometers of its streaked and shifting surface.Underground oceans are thought likely because Europa undergoes global flexing due to its changing gravitational attraction with Jupiter during its slightly elliptical orbit, and this flexing heats the interior.Studying Juno's close-upimages may further humanity's understanding not only of Europa and the early Solar System but also of the possibility that life exists elsewhere in the universe. Tomorrow's picture: big eagle <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search|...

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. 2022 October 4 Star-Forming Eagle Nebula without Stars Image Credit & Copyright: Yannick Akar Explanation: The whole thing looks like an eagle. A closer look at the Eagle Nebula's center,however, shows thebrightregion is actually a window into the center of a larger dark shell of dust. Through this window, a brightly-lit workshop appearswhere a whole open cluster of stars is being formed. In this cavity tall pillars and round globules of dark dust and cold molecular gasremain where stars are still forming. Paradoxically, it is perhaps easier to appreciate this impressive factory of star formation by seeing it without its stars -- which have been digitally removed in the featured image.The Eagle emission nebula,tagged M16, lies about 6500light years away, spans about 20 light-years, and is visible withbinoculars towardthe constellation of the Serpent(Serpens). Creating this picture involved over 22 hours of imaging and combining colors emitted specifically by hydrogen (red), and oxygen (blue). Tomorrow's picture: space dart debris <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors...

APOD: 2022 October 2 - Supernova Cannon Expels Pulsar J0002 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. 2022 October 2 Supernova Cannon Expels Pulsar J0002 Image Credit: F. Schinzel et al. (NRAO, NSF), Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (DRAO),NASA (IRAS); Composition: Jayanne English (U. Manitoba) Explanation: What could shoot out a neutron star like a cannon ball?A supernova. About 10,000 years ago, the supernova that created the nebular remnant CTB 1 not only destroyed a massive star but blasted its newly formed neutron star core -- a pulsar -- out into the Milky Way Galaxy. The pulsar, spinning 8.7 times a second, was discovered using downloadable software Einstein@Home searching through data taken by NASA's orbiting Fermi Gamma-Ray Observatory. Traveling over 1,000 kilometers per second, the pulsar PSR J0002+6216 (J0002 for short) has already left the supernova remnant CTB 1, and is even fast enough to leave our Galaxy.Pictured, the trail of the pulsar is visible extending to the lower left of the supernova remnant. The featured image is a combination of radio images from the VLA and DRAO radio observatories, as well as data archived...

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. 2022 October 3 Jupiter's Europa from Spacecraft Juno Image Credit & License: NASA,JPL-Caltech,SwRI,MSSS;Processing: Andrea Luck Explanation: What mysteries might be solved by peering into this crystal ball? In this case, the ball is actually a moon of Jupiter, the crystals are ice, and the moon is not only dirty but cracked beyond repair. Nevertheless, speculation is rampant that oceans exist under Europa's fractured ice-plains that could support life. Europa, roughly the size of Earth's Moon, is pictured here in an image taken a few days ago when the Jupiter-orbiting robotic spacecraft Juno passed within 325 kilometers of its streaked and shifting surface.Underground oceans are thought likely because Europa undergoes global flexing due to its changing gravitational attraction with Jupiter during its slightly elliptical orbit, and this flexing heats the interior.Studying Juno's close-upimages may further humanity's understanding not only of Europa and the early Solar System but also of the possibility that life exists elsewhere in the universe. Tomorrow's picture: big eagle <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD|...

APOD: 2022 October 1 - Lunation Matrix 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. 2022 October 1 Lunation Matrix Image Credit &Copyright: Tunc Tezel(TWAN) Explanation: Observe the Moonevery night and you'll see its visible sunlit portion gradually change.In phases progressingfrom New Moon to Full Moon to New Moon again,a lunar cycle or lunation is completed in about 29.5 days.Top left to bottom right, this 7x4 matrix of telescopicimages captures the range of lunar phases for 28 consecutive nights,from the evening of July 29 to the morning of August 26,following analmost complete lunation.No image was taken 24 hours or so just after and just beforeNew Moon,when the lunar phase is at best a narrow crescent, close to the Sunand really hard to see.Finding mostly clear Mediterranean skies required an occasionalroad trip to complete this lunar cycle project,imaging in early evening for the first half andlate evening and early morning for the second half of the lunation.Since all the images are registered at the same scaleyou can use this matrix to track thechange in the Moon's apparent size during the single lunation.For extra credit, find the...

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. 2022 October 2 Supernova Cannon Expels Pulsar J0002 Image Credit: F. Schinzel et al. (NRAO, NSF), Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (DRAO),NASA (IRAS); Composition: Jayanne English (U. Manitoba) Explanation: What could shoot out a neutron star like a cannon ball?A supernova. About 10,000 years ago, the supernova that created the nebular remnant CTB 1 not only destroyed a massive star but blasted its newly formed neutron star core -- a pulsar -- out into the Milky Way Galaxy. The pulsar, spinning 8.7 times a second, was discovered using downloadable software Einstein@Home searching through data taken by NASA's orbiting Fermi Gamma-Ray Observatory. Traveling over 1,000 kilometers per second, the pulsar PSR J0002+6216 (J0002 for short) has already left the supernova remnant CTB 1, and is even fast enough to leave our Galaxy.Pictured, the trail of the pulsar is visible extending to the lower left of the supernova remnant. The featured image is a combination of radio images from the VLA and DRAO radio observatories, as well as data archived from NASA's orbiting IRAS infrared...

APOD: 2022 September 30 - Equinox Sunrise Around the World 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. 2022 September 30 Equinox Sunrise Around the World Collage Image Copyright:Luca Vanzella Explanation: A planet-wide collaborationresulted in this remarkable array ofsunrise photographs taken around theSeptember 2022 equinox.The images were contributed by 24 photographers, one in each of24 nautical time zones around the world.Unlike more complicated civil time zone boundaries,the 24 nautical time zones are simply15 degree longitude bands corresponding to 1 hour stepsthat span the globe.Start at the upper right for the first to experience a sunrise inthe nautical time zone corresponding to Coordinated Universal Time(UTC) + 12 hours.In that time zone, the photographer waslocated in Christchurch, New Zealand.Travel to the west by looking down the columnand then moving to the column toward the left forlater sunrises as the time zone offset in hours from UTC decreases.Or,you can watch a video ofSeptember 2022 equinox sunrisesaround planet Earth. Tomorrow's picture: Observe the Moon<| 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...

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. 2022 October 1 Lunation Matrix Image Credit &Copyright: Tunc Tezel(TWAN) Explanation: Observe the Moonevery night and you'll see its visible sunlit portion gradually change.In phases progressingfrom New Moon to Full Moon to New Moon again,a lunar cycle or lunation is completed in about 29.5 days.Top left to bottom right, this 7x4 matrix of telescopicimages captures the range of lunar phases for 28 consecutive nights,from the evening of July 29 to the morning of August 26,following analmost complete lunation.No image was taken 24 hours or so just after and just beforeNew Moon,when the lunar phase is at best a narrow crescent, close to the Sunand really hard to see.Finding mostly clear Mediterranean skies required an occasionalroad trip to complete this lunar cycle project,imaging in early evening for the first half andlate evening and early morning for the second half of the lunation.Since all the images are registered at the same scaleyou can use this matrix to track thechange in the Moon's apparent size during the single lunation.For extra credit, find the lunar phase...