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. 2024 August 10 The Light, Dark, and Dusty Trifid Image Credit &Copyright: Robert Edelmaier and Gabriele Gegenbauer Explanation: Messier 20,popularly known as the Trifid Nebula,lies about5,000 light-years away toward thenebula rich constellation Sagittarius.A star forming region in the plane of our galaxy,the Trifid does illustrate three different types ofastronomical nebulae;red emission nebulae dominated bylight from hydrogen atoms,blue reflection nebulae producedby dust reflecting starlight, anddark nebulae wheredense dust clouds appear in silhouette.The reddish emission region, roughly separated into threeparts by obscuring dust lanes, is what lends the Trifid itspopular name.The cosmic cloud complex is over 40 light-years across and would cover thearea of a full moon on planet Earth's sky.But the Trifid Nebula is too faint to be seen by the unaided eye.Over 75 hours of image data captured under dark night skies wasused to create thisstunning telescopic view. Watch: ThePerseid Meteor Shower Tomorrow's picture: animation in space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights...

APOD: 2024 August 9 - A Perseid Below 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. 2024 August 9 A Perseid Below Image Credit: Ron Garan,ISS Expedition 28 Crew,NASA Explanation: Denizens of planet Earth typically watch meteor showersby looking up.But thisremarkable view,captured on August 13, 2011 by astronaut Ron Garan,caught a Perseid meteor by looking down.From Garan's perspective on board theInternational Space Stationorbiting at an altitude of about 380 kilometers,the Perseid meteors streak below,swept up dust fromcomet Swift-Tuttle.Thevaporizing comet dustgrains are traveling at about 60 kilometers per second throughthe denser atmosphere around 100 kilometers above Earth's surface.In this case, the foreshortened meteor flash is near frame center,below the curving limb of the Earth and a layer of greenishairglow, just below bright star Arcturus.Want to look up at a meteor shower? You're in luck,as the 2024 Perseid meteor showeris active now and predicted to peak near August 12.With interfering bright moonlight absent, this year you'll likelysee many Perseid meteors under clear, dark skies after midnight. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU)...

APOD: 2024 August 8 - Periodic Comet Swift-Tuttle 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. 2024 August 8 Periodic Comet Swift-Tuttle Image Credit &Copyright: Gerald Rhemann Explanation: A Halley-type comet with an orbital period of about 133 years,Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttleis recognized as the parent of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower.The comet's last visit to the inner Solar Systemwasin 1992.Then, it did not become easily visible to the naked eye,but it did become bright enough to seefrom most locations with binoculars and small telescopes.This stunning color image of Swift-Tuttle's greenish coma,long ion tail and dust tail was recorded usingfilm on November 24, 1992.That was about 16 days after thelarge periodic comet'sclosest approach to Earth.Comet Swift-Tuttleis expected to next make an impressiveappearance in night skies in 2126.Meanwhile, dusty cometary debris left along the orbit ofSwift-Tuttle will continue to be sweptup creating planet Earth's best-known July andAugust meteor shower. Tomorrow's picture: perseids in space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA Web Privacy,Accessibility NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science...

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. 2024 August 9 A Perseid Below Image Credit: Ron Garan,ISS Expedition 28 Crew,NASA Explanation: Denizens of planet Earth typically watch meteor showersby looking up.But thisremarkable view,captured on August 13, 2011 by astronaut Ron Garan,caught a Perseid meteor by looking down.From Garan's perspective on board theInternational Space Stationorbiting at an altitude of about 380 kilometers,the Perseid meteors streak below,swept up dust fromcomet Swift-Tuttle.Thevaporizing comet dustgrains are traveling at about 60 kilometers per second throughthe denser atmosphere around 100 kilometers above Earth's surface.In this case, the foreshortened meteor flash is near frame center,below the curving limb of the Earth and a layer of greenishairglow, just below bright star Arcturus.Want to look up at a meteor shower? You're in luck,as the 2024 Perseid meteor showeris active now and predicted to peak near August 12.With interfering bright moonlight absent, this year you'll likelysee many Perseid meteors under clear, dark skies after midnight. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)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. 2024 August 8 Periodic Comet Swift-Tuttle Image Credit &Copyright: Gerald Rhemann Explanation: A Halley-type comet with an orbital period of about 133 years,Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttleis recognized as the parent of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower.The comet's last visit to the inner Solar Systemwasin 1992.Then, it did not become easily visible to the naked eye,but it did become bright enough to seefrom most locations with binoculars and small telescopes.This stunning color image of Swift-Tuttle's greenish coma,long ion tail and dust tail was recorded usingfilm on November 24, 1992.That was about 16 days after thelarge periodic comet'sclosest approach to Earth.Comet Swift-Tuttleis expected to next make an impressiveappearance in night skies in 2126.Meanwhile, dusty cometary debris left along the orbit ofSwift-Tuttle will continue to be sweptup creating planet Earth's best-known July andAugust meteor shower. Tomorrow's picture: perseids in space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA Web Privacy,Accessibility NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech....

APOD: 2024 August 1 - Comet Olbers over Kunetice Castle 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. 2024 August 1 Comet Olbers over Kunetice Castle Image Credit &Copyright: Petr Horálek /Institute of Physics in Opava Explanation: A visitor to the inner solar system every 70 years or so,Comet 13P/Olbersreached its most recent perihelion,or closest approach to the Sun, on June 30.Now on areturnvoyage to thedistant Oort Cloud,the Halley-type comet is recorded here sweeping throughnorthern summer night skiesover historicKunetice Castle,Czech Republic.The compositeof tracked exposures for comet and sky,showing the comet'sbroad dust tail, brighter coma, andlong ion tail buffeted by storms and winds from the Sun,and fixed exposures for foreground landscape was recorded on July 28.The comet isabout 16 light-minutes beyond the castleand seen against faint background starsbelow the northern constellation Ursa Major.The hilltop castle dates to the 15th century, whileHeinrich Olbers discovered the comet in 1815.Captured here low in northwestern skies just after sunsetComet Olbers, for now, offers skywatchers on planet Earth rewarding telescopic and binocular views.Comet 13P/Olbers'next perihelion passage will be in 2094. Tomorrow's picture: martian chronicles <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar|...

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. 2024 August 3 Glory and Fog Bow Image and Video Credit &Copyright: Cem Özkeser and Yasin İlcebay Explanation: On a road trip upMount Uludağin Bursa province, Turkeythese motorcyclists found themselves above low clouds and fogin late June.With the bright Sun directly behind them, the view down theside of the great mountain revealed a beautiful, atmospheric glory andfog bow.Known to some as the heiligenscheinor the Specter of the Brocken,a glory can also sometimes be seen from airplanes or even high buildings.It often appears to be a dark giant surrounded by a bright halo.Of course the dark giant is just theshadow of the observer (90MB video)cast opposite the Sun.The clouds and fogare composed of very small water droplets,smaller than rain drops, that refract and reflect sunlightto create the glory's colorful halo and this more extensivefog bow. Tomorrow's picture: Here comes the Sun <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA Web Privacy,Accessibility NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA...

APOD: 2024 August 2 - Mars Passing By 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. 2024 August 2 Mars Passing By Image Credit &Copyright: Tunc Tezel(TWAN) Explanation: As Marswanders through Earth's night,it passes about 5 degrees south of the Pleiadesstar cluster in this composite astrophoto.The skyview was constructed from a series of imagescaptured over a run of 16 consecutive clear nightsbeginning on July 12.Mars' marchacross the field of view beginsat the far right, the planet's ruddy hueshowing a nice contrast with the blue Pleiades stars.Moving much faster across the sky against the distant stars,the fourth planetfrom the Suneasily passes seventh planet Uranus.Red planet Mars and the ice giant world were in close conjunction,about 1/2 degree apart, on July 16.Continuing its rapid eastward trek, Mars has now left the sister starsand outer planet behind though,passing north of red giant star Aldebaran.Mars will come within about 1/3 degree of Jupiter inplanet Earth's skyon August 14. Tomorrow's picture: road trip <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA Web...

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. 2024 August 2 Mars Passing By Image Credit &Copyright: Tunc Tezel(TWAN) Explanation: As Marswanders through Earth's night,it passes about 5 degrees south of the Pleiadesstar cluster in this composite astrophoto.The skyview was constructed from a series of imagescaptured over a run of 16 consecutive clear nightsbeginning on July 12.Mars' marchacross the field of view beginsat the far right, the planet's ruddy hue.showing a nice contrast with the blue Pleiades stars.Moving much faster across the sky against the distant stars,the fourth planetfrom the Suneasily passes seventh planet Uranus,also moving across this field of view.Red planet Mars and the ice giant world were in close conjunction,about 1/2 degree apart, on July 16.Continuing its rapid eastward trek, Mars has now left the sister starsand outer planet behind though,passing north of red giant star Aldebaran.Mars will come within about 1/3 degree of Jupiter inplanet Earth's skyon August 14. Tomorrow's picture: road trip <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific...

APOD: 2024 August 1 - Comet Olbers over Kunetice Castle 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. 2024 August 1 Comet Olbers over Kunetice Castle Image Credit &Copyright: Petr Horálek /Institute of Physics in Opava Explanation: A visitor to the inner solar system every 70 years or soComet 13P/Olbersreached its most recent perihelion,or closest approach to the Sun, on June 30 2024.Now on areturnvoyage to thedistant Oort cloudthe Halley-type comet is recorded here sweeping throughnorthern summer night skiesover historicKunetice Castle,Czech Republic.Along with a broad dust tail, and brighter coma, thiscomet's long ion tail buffeted by storms and winds from the Sun, is revealed in thecomposite of tracked exposures for comet and sky, and fixedexposures for foreground landscape recorded on July 28.The comet isabout 16 light-minutes beyond the castleand seen against faint background starsbelow the northern constellation Ursa Major.The hilltop castle dates to the 15th century, whileHeinrich Olbers discovered the comet in 1815.Captured here low in northwestern skies just after sunsetComet Olbers, for now, offers skywatchers on planet Earth rewarding telescopic and binocular views.Comet 13P/Olbersnext perihelion passage will be in 2094. Tomorrow's picture: martian chronicles...

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. 2024 August 1 Comet Olbers over Kunetice Castle Image Credit &Copyright: Petr Horálek /Institute of Physics in Opava Explanation: A visitor to the inner solar system every 70 years or soComet 13P/Olbersreached its most recent perihelion,or closest approach to the Sun, on June 30 2024.Now on areturnvoyage to thedistant Oort cloudthe Halley-type comet is recorded here sweeping throughnorthern summer night skiesover historicKunetice Castle,Czech Republic.Along with a broad dust tail, and brighter coma, thiscomet's long ion tailbuffeted by storms and winds from the Sun,is revealed in thecomposite of tracked exposures for comet and sky, and fixedexposures for foreground landscape recorded on July 28.The comet isabout 16 light-minutes beyond the castleand seen against faint background starsbelow the northern constellation Ursa Major.The hilltop castle dates to the 15th century, whileHeinrich Olbers discovered the comet in 1815.Captured here low in northwestern skies just after sunsetComet Olbers, for now, offers skywatchers on planet Earth rewarding telescopic and binocular views.Comet 13P/Olbersnext perihelion passage will be in 2094. Tomorrow's picture: martian chronicles <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar|...

APOD: 2024 July 26 - Facing NGC 6946 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. 2024 July 26 Facing NGC 6946 Image Credit &Copyright: Roberto Marinoni Explanation: From our vantage point in theMilky Way Galaxy,we seeNGC 6946 face-on.The big, beautifulspiral galaxyis located just 20 million light-years away, behind a veil offoreground dust and stars in the high and far-offconstellation Cepheus.In thissharp telescopic portrait,from the core outward the galaxy's colors change from the yellowishlight of old stars in the center to young blue starclusters and reddish star forming regions along the loose, fragmentedspiral arms.NGC 6946 is also bright ininfrared light andrich in gas and dust, exhibiting a high star birth anddeath rate.In fact, sincethe early 20th centurytenconfirmed supernovae, thedeath explosionsof massive stars, werediscovered in NGC 6946.Nearly 40,000 light-years across, NGC 6946 is also known as theFireworks Galaxy. Tomorrow's picture: Saturnday <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA Web Privacy,Accessibility NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA 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. 2024 July 27 Saturn at the Moon's Edge Image Credit &Copyright: Chengcheng Xu Explanation: Saturn now rises before midnight in planet Earth's sky.On July 24, the naked-eye planetwas in close conjunction,close on the sky,to a waning gibbous Moon.But from some locations on planet Earth the ringed gas giantwas occulted, disappearing behindthe Moon for about an hourfrom skies over parts of Asia and Africa.Because the Moon and bright planets wander through the sky near theecliptic plane, suchoccultation events arenot uncommon, but they can bedramatic.In this telescopic view from Nanjing, Jiangsu, China,Saturn is caught moments beforeits disappearance behind the lunar disk.The snapshot gives the illusionthat Saturn hangs just aboveGlushko crater,a43 kilometer diameter,young, ray crater near the Moon's western edge.Of course, the Moon is 400 thousand kilometers away,compared to Saturn's distance of 1.4billion kilometers. Tomorrow's picture: sundance <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA Web Privacy,Accessibility NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA 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. 2024 July 26 Facing NGC 6946 Image Credit &Copyright: Roberto Marinoni Explanation: From our vantage point in theMilky Way Galaxy,we seeNGC 6946 face-on.The big, beautifulspiral galaxyis located just 20 million light-years away, behind a veil offoreground dust and stars in the high and far-offconstellation Cepheus.In thissharp telescopic portrait,from the core outward the galaxy's colors change from the yellowishlight of old stars in the center to young blue starclusters and reddish star forming regions along the loose, fragmentedspiral arms.NGC 6946 is also bright ininfrared light andrich in gas and dust, exhibiting a high star birth anddeath rate.In fact, sincethe early 20th centurytenconfirmed supernovae, thedeath explosionsof massive stars, werediscovered in NGC 6946.Nearly 40,000 light-years across, NGC 6946 is also known as theFireworks Galaxy. 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: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA Web Privacy,Accessibility NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2024 July 25 - NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula 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. 2024 July 25 NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula Image Credit &Copyright: Robert Shepherd Explanation: These cosmic clouds have blossomed 1,300 light-years awayin the fertile starfields of theconstellation Cepheus.Called the Iris Nebula,NGC 7023is not the only nebulato evoke the imagery of flowers.Still, thisdeep telescopic imageshows off the Iris Nebula's range ofcolors and symmetries embedded in surroundingfields of interstellar dust.Within the Iris itself, dusty nebular material surrounds a hot, young star.The dominant color of the brighter reflection nebula is blue,characteristic of dust grains reflecting starlight.Central filamentsof the reflection nebula glow with a faint reddishphotoluminescence as some dust grainseffectively convertthe star's invisible ultraviolet radiation to visible red light.Infraredobservationsindicate that this nebula contains complex carbon molecules known asPAHs.The dusty blue petals of the Iris Nebula span about six light-years. 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: Amber StraughnSpecific rights apply.NASA Web Privacy,Accessibility NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA Science Activation& Michigan Tech....