APOD: 2022 September 2 - M51: The Whirlpool 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 September 2 M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy Image Credit &Copyright: Fabian Neyer Explanation: Find the Big Dipper andfollow the handle away from the dipper's bowluntil you get to the last bright star.Then, just slide your telescope a little south and west andyou'llcome upon this stunning pair of interacting galaxies,the 51st entryin Charles Messier's famous catalog.Perhaps theoriginal spiralnebula,the large galaxy withwell defined spiral structure is also cataloged as NGC 5194.Itsspiral arms and dust lanesclearly sweep in front of its companion galaxy (left),NGC 5195.The pair are about 31 million light-years distant andofficially lie within the angular boundaries ofthe small constellationCanesVenatici.In direct telescopic views, M51 looks faint and fuzzy to the eye.But this remarkably deep imageshows off details of the interacting galaxy'sstriking colors and galactic tidal debris.The image includes nearly 90 hours of narrowband datathat also reveals a vast glowing cloud of reddish ionized hydrogen gasdiscovered in the M51 system. Tomorrow's picture: 29 seconds later<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert...

APOD: 2022 September 1 - The Tulip and Cygnus X-1 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 1 The Tulip and Cygnus X-1 Image Credit &Copyright: Peter Kohlmann Explanation: Framing a bright emission region,this telescopic viewlooks out alongthe plane of our Milky Way Galaxy toward the nebula rich constellationCygnus the Swan.Popularly called the Tulip Nebula,the reddish glowing cloud of interstellar gas and dustis also found in the1959 catalogby astronomer Stewart Sharplessas Sh2-101.Nearly 70 light-years across, the complex and beautiful Tulip Nebulablossoms about 8,000 light-years away.Ultraviolet radiation from young energetic stars at the edge of the CygnusOB3 association,includingO star HDE 227018,ionizes the atomsand powers the emission from the Tulip Nebula.Also in the field of view is microquasarCygnus X-1,one of the strongest X-ray sources in planet Earth's sky.Blasted by powerful jets from alurking black holeits fainter bluish curved shock front isonly just visible though, beyondthe cosmic Tulip's petals near the right side of the frame. Back to School? Learn Science with NASA Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU)...

APOD: 2022 August 31 - Siccar Point on Mars 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 August 31 Siccar Point on Mars Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS;Processing & License:Kevin M. Gill Explanation: What created this unusual hill on Mars?No one is sure. A good outlook to survey the surrounding area, Siccar Point stands out from its surroundings in Gale Crater.The unusual mound was visited by the robotic Curiosity rover exploring Mars late last year.Siccar Point not only has a distinctive shape, it has dark rocks above lighter rocks. The apparent much younger age of the dark rocks indicates a time-break in the usual geological ordering of rock layers -- by a process yet unknown.The Martian hill is named for SiccarPoint on Earth, a place in Scotland itself distinctive as a junction between two different rock layers. Curiosity continues to explore Gale crater on Mars, looking for clues of ancient life.Simultaneously, 2300 kilometers away, its sister rover Perseverance explores Jezero crater, there assisted by the flight-capable scout Ingenuity. Tomorrow's picture: open space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors...

APOD: 2022 August 30 - Jupiter from the Webb Space Telescope 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 August 30 Jupiter from the Webb Space Telescope Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA,Jupiter ERS Team; Processing: Ricardo Hueso (UPV/EHU) & Judy Schmidt Explanation: This new view of Jupiter is illuminating.High-resolution infrared images of Jupiter from the new James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) reveal, for example, previously unknown differences between high-floating bright clouds -- including the Great Red Spot -- and low-lying dark clouds.Also clearly visible in the featured Webb image are Jupiter's dust ring, bright auroras at the poles, and Jupiter's moons Amalthea and Adrastea.Large volcanic moon Io's magnetic funneling of charged particles onto Jupiter is also visible in the southern aurora.Some objects are so bright that light noticeably diffracts around Webb's optics creating streaks. Webb, which orbits the Sun near the Earth, has a mirror over six meters across making it the largest astronomical telescope ever launched -- with over six times more light-collecting area than Hubble. Tomorrow's picture: unusual mars <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| >...

APOD: 2022 August 29 - The Horsehead Nebula Region 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 August 29 The Horsehead Nebula Region without Stars Image Credit & Copyright: George Chatzifrantzis Explanation: The famous Horsehead Nebula in Orion is not alone. A deep exposure shows that the dark familiar shaped indentation, visible just right of center, is part of a vast complex of absorbing dust and glowing gas.The featured spectacular picture details an intricate tapestry of gaseous wisps and dust-laden filaments that were created and sculpted over eons by stellar winds and ancient supernovas. The Flame Nebula is visible in orange just to the Horsehead's left.To highlight the dust and gas, most of the stars have been digitally removed, although a notable exception is Alnitak, just above the Flame Nebula, which is the rightmost star in Orion's famous belt of three aligned stars.The Horsehead Nebula lies 1,500 light years distant towards the constellation of Orion. NASA Coverage: Artemis I Mission to the Moon Teachers & Students: Ideas for utilizing APOD in the classroom Tomorrow's picture: Jupiter revealed <| Archive| Submissions | Index|...

APOD: 2022 August 28 - Perijove 11: Passing Jupiter 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. Perijove 11: Passing Jupiter Video Credit: License: NASA, Juno, SwRI, MSSS, Gerald Eichstadt; Music: Moonlight Sonata (Ludwig van Beethoven) Explanation: Here comes Jupiter!NASA's robotic spacecraft Juno is continuing on its highly-elongated orbits around our Solar System's largest planet. The featured video is from perijove 11 in early 2018, the eleventh time Juno has passed near Jupiter since it arrived in mid-2016. This time-lapse, color-enhanced movie covers about four hours and morphs between 36 JunoCam images.The video begins with Jupiter rising as Juno approaches from the north.As Juno reaches its closest view -- from about 3,500 kilometers over Jupiter's cloud tops -- the spacecraft captures the great planet in tremendous detail.Juno passes light zones and dark belt of clouds that circle the planet, as well as numerous swirling circular storms, many of which are larger than hurricanes on Earth. After the perijove, Jupiter recedes into the distance, then displaying the unusual clouds that appear over Jupiter's south. To get desired science data, Juno swoops so close to Jupiterthat its...

APOD: 2022 August 27 - IC 5146: The Cocoon 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. 2022 August 27 IC 5146: The Cocoon Nebula Image Credit &Copyright: David Jenkins Explanation: Inside the Cocoon Nebula is a newly developing cluster of stars.Cataloged asIC 5146, the beautifulnebula is nearly 15light-years wide.Climbing high innorthern summer night skies,it's located some 4,000 light years away toward the constellation Cygnusthe Swan.Like other star forming regions, it stands outin red, glowing, hydrogen gasexcited by young, hot stars,and dust-reflected starlightat the edge of an otherwise invisiblemolecular cloud. In fact, the bright star found near the center of this nebula is likelyonly a few hundred thousand years old, powering the nebular glow as itclears outa cavity in the molecularcloud's star forming dust and gas.A 29 hour long integration with a small telescope from Ayr, Ontario,Canada resulted in thisexceptionally deep color viewtracing tantalizing features within and surrounding the dustystellarnursery. Tomorrow's picture: perijove passage<| 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...

APOD: 2022 August 26 - Little Planet South Pole 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 August 26 Little Planet South Pole Image Credit &Copyright: Aman Chokshi Explanation: Lights play around the horizon of this snowy little planetas it drifts through a starry night sky.Of course the little planet is actuallyplanet Earth.Recorded on August 21, the digitally warped,nadircentered panorama covers nearly 360x180 degrees outside theAmundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica.The southernmost research outpost is near the horizon at the topwhere the light of dawn is approaching after nearly six months of darkness.Along the bottom is the ceremonial pole marker surrounded by the 12 flagsof the original signatories of the Antarctic treaty, with a wild displayof theaurora australis above. 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 August 25 - Tiangong Space Station Transits the Moon 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 August 25 Tiangong Space Station Transits the Moon Image Credit &Copyright: Lucy Yunxi Hu Explanation: The rugged lunar south polar regionlies at the top of this colorfulportrait of a last quarter Moon made on August 20.Constructed from video frames and still imagestaken at Springrange, New South Wales, Australia it alsocaptures a transitof China'sTiangong Space Station.The transit itself was fleeting, taking the space station less than a secondto cross the shadowed and sunlit lunar disk.The low Earth orbiting Tiangong is at an altitude of about 400kilometers, while the Moon is some400,000 kilometers away.Subtle color differences along the bright lunar surface are revealed inthe multiple stacked frames.Not visible to the eye,they indicate real differences in chemical makeupacross the lunar surface. Tomorrow's picture: little planet<| 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 August 24 - The Cartwheel Galaxy from Webb 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 August 24 The Cartwheel Galaxy from Webb Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team Explanation: To some, it looks like a wheel of a cart.In fact, because of its outward appearance, the presence of a central galaxy, and its connection with what looks like the spokes of a wheel, the galaxy on the right is known as the Cartwheel Galaxy.To others, however, it looks like a complicated interaction between galaxies awaiting explanation.Along with the two galaxies on the left, the Cartwheel is part of a group of galaxies about 500 million light years away in the constellation Sculptor. The large galaxy's rim spans over 100,000 light years and is composed of star forming regions filled with extremely bright and massive stars. The Cartwheel's ring-like shape is the result of gravitational disruption caused by a smaller galaxy passing through a large one, compressing the interstellar gas and dust and causing a star formation wave to move out like a ripple across the surface of...

APOD: 2022 August 23 - Meteor and Milky Way over the Mediterranean 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 August 23 Meteor & Milky Way over the Mediterranean Image Credit & Copyright: Julien Looten Explanation: Careful planning made this a nightscape to remember.First, the night itself was chosen to occur during the beginning of this year's Perseid Meteor Shower. Next, the time of night was chosen to be before the bright Moon would rise and dominate the night sky's brightness.The picturesque foreground was selected to be a rocky beach of the Mediterranean Sea in Le Dramont, France, with, at the time, île d’Or island situated near the ominously descending central band of our Milky Way Galaxy. Once everything was set and with the weather cooperating, all of the frames for this seemingly surreal nightscape were acquired within 15 minutes.What you can't see is that, on this night, the astrophotographer brought along his father who, although unskilled in modern sky-capture techniques, once made it a point to teach his child about the sky. Perseid Meteor Shower 2022 Gallery: Notable Submissions to APOD Tomorrow's picture:...

APOD: 2022 August 22 - Earths Recent Climate Spiral 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. Earth's Recent Climate Spiral Video Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio Explanation: Is our Earth warming?Compared to the past 250 million years, the Earth is currently enduring a relative cold spell, possibly about four degrees Celsius below average. Over the past 120 years, though, data indicate that the average global temperature of the Earth has increased by nearly one degree Celsius. The featured visualization video depicts Earth's recent global warming in graphic terms.The depicted temperatures are taken from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies' Surface Temperature Analysis.Already noticeable by many, Earth's recent warming trend is causing sea levels to rise, precipitation patterns to change, and pole ice to melt. Few now disagree that recent global warming is occurring, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that we humans have created a warming surge that is likely to continue. A continuation could impact many local agricultures and even the global economy. Although there seems to be no simple solutions, geoengineering projects that might help include artificial cloud...

APOD: 2022 August 21 - The Spinning Pulsar of the Crab 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. 2022 August 21 The Spinning Pulsar of the Crab Nebula Image Credit: NASA: X-ray: Chandra (CXC),Optical: Hubble (STScI),Infrared: Spitzer (JPL-Caltech) Explanation: At the core of theCrab Nebula lies a city-sized, magnetizedneutron star spinning 30 times a second.Known as the Crab Pulsar, it is the bright spot in the center of the gaseous swirl at the nebula's core.About twelve light-years across, the spectacular picture framesthe glowing gas, cavities and swirling filaments near the Crab Nebula's center. The featured picture combines visible light from the Hubble Space Telescope in purple, X-ray light from the Chandra X-ray Observatory in blue, and infrared light from the Spitzer Space Telescope in red. Like acosmicdynamo the Crab pulsar powers theemission from the nebula, driving a shock wave through surroundingmaterial and accelerating the spiraling electrons.With more mass thanthe Sunand the density of an atomic nucleus,the spinning pulsar is the collapsed core of a massive star that exploded.The outer parts of the Crab Nebula are the expanding remnants of the star's component gasses.The...

APOD: 2022 August 20 - Stardust and Comet Tails 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 August 20 Stardust and Comet Tails Image Credit &Copyright: Rolando Ligustri(CARA Project,CAST) Explanation: Heading for its closest approach to the Sun, or perihelion,on December 19 cometC/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) remains a sightfor telescopic observers as it sweeps through planet Earth's skiesin the constellation Scorpius.The comet currentlysports a greenishcoma, long whitish dust tail, and short ion tail in thisdeep image from August 18.The 2x3 degree wide field of view includes part of the dustynebula IC 4592 reflecting blue starlight.Also known as the Blue Horsehead Nebula,IC 4592 is about 400 light-years distant while the comet is just under17 light-minutes away.First spotted at a distance well beyond the orbit of SaturnC/2017 K2is on its maiden voyage to the inner solar system,a pristine visitor from theremote Oort cloud. Tomorrow's picture: cosmic crustacean<| 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 August 19 - Saturn: 1993 2022 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 August 19 Saturn: 1993 - 2022 Image Credit &Copyright: Tunc Tezel(TWAN) Explanation: Saturn is the most distant planetof the Solar Systemeasily visibleto the unaided eye.With this extraordinary, long-term astro-imaging project begun in 1993,you can follow the ringed gas giant for one Saturn yearas it wandersonce around theecliptic plane,finishing a single orbit around the Sun by 2022.Constructed from individual images made over 29 Earth years,the split panorama is centered along the eclipticand crossed by the plane of our Milky Way galaxy.Saturn's position in 1993 is at the right side, upper panelin the constellationCapricornus and progresses toward the left.It returns to the spot in Capricornusat left in the lower panel in 2022.The consistent imaging shows Saturn appears slightly brighter during the years2000-2005 and 2015-2019, periods when its beautiful rings weretilted more face-on to planet Earth. 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...