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 February 25 Crescent Moon Occultation Image Credit &Copyright: Fefo Bouvier Explanation: On February 22, a young Moon shared the western sky at sunsetwith bright planets Venus and Jupiteralong the ecliptic plane.The beautiful celestial conjunction wasvisible around planet Earth.But from somelocationsJupiter hid for a while,occulted by the crescent lunar disk.The Solar System's ruling gas giant was captured here justbefore it disappeared behind the the Moon's dark edge,seen overthe Río de la Plata at Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. In the serene river and skyscape Venus is not so shy,shining brightly closer to the horizonthrough the fading twilight.Next week Venus and Jupiter will appeareven closerin your evening sky. Tomorrow's picture: Saturn's Iapetus <| 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 Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2023 February 23 - Arp 78: Peculiar Galaxy in Aries 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 February 23 Arp 78: Peculiar Galaxy in Aries Image Credit &Copyright: Josep Drudis Explanation: Peculiarspiral galaxy Arp 78 is found within the boundaries of the head strongconstellationAries.Some 100 million light-years beyond thestars and nebulae of our Milky Way galaxy,the island universe is an enormous 200,000 light-years across.Also known as NGC 772,it sports a prominent, outer spiral arm inthisdetailed cosmic portrait.Tracking along sweeping dust lanes andlined withyoung blue star clusters, Arp 78's overdeveloped spiral arm ispumped-upby galactic-scale gravitational tides.Interactions with its brightest companion galaxy,the more compact NGC 770seen above and right of the larger spiral, are likely responsible.Embedded in faint star streams revealed in the deep telescopic exposure,NGC 770's fuzzy, elliptical appearance contrasts nicelywith spiky foreground Milky Way stars in matching yellowish hues. Tomorrow's picture: beyond Jones-Emberson 1 <| 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 Science Activation& Michigan...

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 February 24 Jones-Emberson 1 Image Credit &Copyright: SergeBrunier, Jean-François Bax, David Vernet,C2PU/OCA Explanation: Planetary nebulaJones-Emberson 1is thedeath shroudof a dying Sun-like star.It lies some 1,600 light-years from Earth toward thesharp-eyedconstellation Lynx.About 4 light-years across,the expanding remnant of the dying star's atmosphere wasshrugged offinto interstellar space, as the star'scentral supply of hydrogen and then helium for fusion wasfinally depleted after billions of years.Visible near the center of the planetary nebulais what remains of the stellar core, a blue-hotwhite dwarf star. Also known as PK 164 +31.1, the nebula is faint and verydifficult to glimpse at a telescope's eyepiece.But this deep broadband imagecombining 22 hours of exposure time does show it off in exceptional detail.Stars within our own Milky Way galaxy as well as background galaxiesacross the universe are scattered through the clear field of view.Ephemeralon the cosmic stage, Jones-Emberson 1will fade away over the next few thousand years.Its hot, central white dwarf star will takebillionsof years to cool. Tomorrow's picture: moonset <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD|...

2023 CX1 Meteor Flash

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 February 18 Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb Image Credit:NASA,ESA,CSA,Janice Lee (NOIRLab) -Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI) Explanation: A mere 56 million light-years distant toward thesouthern constellation Fornax,NGC1365 is an enormousbarred spiral galaxy about 200,000 light-years in diameter.That's twice the size of our own barred spiral Milky Way.This sharp imagefrom theJames Webb Space Telescope'sMid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI)reveals stunning detailsof this magnificent spiralin infrared light.Webb'sfield of viewstretches about 60,000 light-yearsacross NGC 1365, exploring the galaxy's core and bright newborn star clusters.The intricate network of dusty filaments and bubbles iscreated by young stars along spiral arms winding from thegalaxy's central bar.Astronomers suspectthe gravity field of NGC 1365's bar playsa crucial role in the galaxy's evolution,funneling gas and dust into astar-forming maelstromand ultimately feeding materialinto the active galaxy's central,supermassive black hole. Tomorrow's picture: seven siblings from WISE <| 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 Science Activation& Michigan...

Explanation: Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,O'er volumes of astronomy and forgotten lore,I stumbled upon this snapshot, cosmic and eerie,A sight that filled my heart with awe and more. Two stars, like sentinels, anchored the foreground,Of our Milky Way galaxy, a sight to behold,Beyond them, a cluster of Hydra, galaxies abound,100 million light-years away,a story to be told. Three large galaxies, ellipticals and a spiral blue,Dominant and grand, each 150,000 light-years wide,But it was the overlapping pair that caught my view,Cataloged as NGC 3314, a sight I cannot hide. Abell 1060, theHydra galaxy cluster's name,One of three large galaxy clusters close to our Milky Way,A universe bound by gravity, a celestial game,Where clusters align over larger scales, I cannot sway. At a distance of 100 million light-years, this snapshot's size,1.3 million light-years across, a cosmic delight,A momentary glimpse intothe universe's guise,But even this shall fade, and be nevermore in sight.

2023 CX1 Meteor Flash

Explanation: Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,O'er volumes of astronomy and forgotten lore,I stumbled upon this snapshot, cosmic and eerie,A sight that filled my heart with awe and more. Two stars, like sentinels, anchored the foreground,Of our Milky Way galaxy, a sight to behold,Beyond them, a cluster of Hydra, galaxies abound,100 million light-years away,a story to be told. Three large galaxies, ellipticals and a spiral blue,Dominant and grand, each 150,000 light-years wide,But it was the overlapping pair that caught my view,Cataloged as NGC 3314, a sight I cannot hide. Abell 1060, theHydra galaxy cluster's name,One of three large galaxy clusters close to our Milky Way,A universe bound by gravity, a celestial game,Where clusters align over larger scales, I cannot sway. At a distance of 100 million light-years, this snapshot's size,1.3 million light-years across, a cosmic delight,A momentary glimpse intothe universe's guise,But even this shall fade, and be nevermore in sight.

APOD: 2023 February 10 - ZTF meets ATLAS 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 February 10 ZTF meets ATLAS Image Credit &Copyright:Stefan Bemmerl Explanation: Fading as itraces acrossplanet Earth's northern skiescomet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)shares this telescopic framewith cometC/2022 U2 (ATLAS).Captured on the night of February 6 froma garden observatory in Germany's Bavarian Forest, the starry field ofview toward the constellation Auriga spans about 2.5 degrees.Discovered bysky survey projects in 2022 (theZwicky Transient Facilityand theAsteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System)theselong-period cometsare outbound, reaching perihelion just last month.The much fainter comet ATLAS made its closest approach to our fairplanet on January 29 at a distance of about 4.6 light-minutes, comparedto a mere 2.4 light-minutes for comet ZTF on February 2.This comet ATLAS lacks the well-developed tails of theformerly naked-eye comet ZTF.But both comets sport greenish tinted comas, emission from diatomic carbon molecules fluorescing in sunlight.Continuing its dash across planet Earth's sky, the good-binocularcomet ZTF will appear close to bright planet Mars tonight. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell...

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 February 11 Magellanic Clouds over Chile Image Credit &Copyright:Felipe Mac Auliffe López Explanation: The two prominent clouds in this Chilean Atacama Desertskyscape captured on January 21actuallylie beyond our Milky Way galaxy. Known asthe Large andthe SmallMagellanic Clouds they areso named for the 16th century Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan,leader of the first circumnavigation of planet Earth.Famous jewels of southern hemisphereskies, they are the brightestsatellite galaxies of the Milky Way.The larger cloud is some 160,000 light-years, and the smaller 210,000light-years distant.While both are irregular dwarf galaxies in their own right,they exhibit central barred structures in the deep wide-angle view.Wide and deep exposures also reveal faint dustygalactic cirrusnebulae and the imprints of gravitational tidal interactionsbetween the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Tomorrow's picture: another cloudy day <| 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 Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2023 February 9 - Nacreous Clouds over Lapland 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 February 9 Nacreous Clouds over Lapland Image Credit &Copyright:Dennis Lehtonen Explanation: Vivid and lustrous,wafting iridescent waves of color wash across this skyscapefrom Kilpisjärvi, Finland.Known as nacreousclouds or mother-of-pearl clouds, they are rare.But theirunforgettableappearance was captured looking south at 69 degreesnorth latitude at sunset on January 24. A type of polar stratospheric cloud,they form when unusually cold temperatures in the usually cloudlesslowerstratosphereform ice crystals.Still sunlit at altitudes of around 15 to 25 kilometers, the clouds candiffract sunlight even after sunset and just before the dawn. 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 /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. 2023 February 10 ZTF meets ATLAS Image Credit &Copyright:Stefan Bemmerl Explanation: Fading as itraces acrossplanet Earth's northern skiescomet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)shares this telescopic framewith cometC/2022 U2 (ATLAS).Captured on the night of February 6 froma garden observatory in Germany's Bavarian Forest, the starry field ofview toward the constellation Auriga spans about 2.5 degrees.Discovered bysky survey projects in 2022 (theZwicky Transient Facilityand theAsteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System)theselong-period cometsare outbound, reaching perihelion just last month.The much fainter comet ATLAS made its closest approach to our fairplanet on January 29 at a distance of about 4.6 light-minutes, comparedto a mere 2.4 light-minutes for comet ZTF on February 2.This comet ATLAS lacks the well-developed tails of theformerly naked-eye comet ZTF.But both comets sport greenish tinted comas, emission from diatomic carbon molecules fluorescing in sunlight.Continuing its dash across planet Earth's sky, thegood-binocularcomet ZTF will appear close to bright planet Mars tonight. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights...

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 February 9 Nacreous Clouds over Lapland Image Credit &Copyright:Dennis Lehtonen Explanation: Vivid and lustrous,wafting iridescent waves of color wash across this skyscapefrom Kilpisjärvi, Finland.Known as nacreousclouds or mother-of-pearl clouds, they are rare.But theirunforgettableappearance was captured looking south at 69 degreesnorth latitude at sunset on January 24. A type of polar stratospheric cloud,they form when unusually cold temperatures in the usually cloudlesslowerstratosphereform ice crystals.Still sunlit at altitudes of around 15 to 25 kilometers, the clouds candiffract sunlight even after sunset and just before the dawn. 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 /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. 2023 February 4 NGC 2626 along the Vela Molecular Ridge Image Credit &Copyright:Mike Selby &Mark Hanson Explanation: Centered in thiscolorful cosmic canvas,NGC 2626 is a beautiful,bright, blue reflection nebula in the southern Milky Way.Next to an obscuring dust cloud andsurrounded by reddish hydrogen emission from largeH II regionRCW 27 it lies within a complex ofdusty molecular clouds known as theVela Molecular Ridge.NGC 2626is itself a cloud of interstellar dustreflecting blue light from the young hot embedded starvisible within the nebula.But astronomicalexplorationsreveal many other young starsand associated nebulae in the star-forming region.NGC 2626 is about 3,200 light-years away.At that distance this telescopic field of view would spanabout 30 light-years along theVela Molecular Ridge. Tomorrow's picture: moon by planetlight <| 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 Science Activation& Michigan Tech. U.

APOD: 2023 February 3 - Polaris and the Trail of Comet ZTF 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 February 3 Polaris and the Trail of Comet ZTF Image Credit &Copyright:David Ibarra Gomez Explanation: Stars trace concentric arcsaround the North Celestial Pole in thisthree hour long night sky composite,recorded with a digital camera fixed to a tripodon January 31, near Àger, Lleida, Spain.On that dateComet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)was near its northernmost declination inplanet Earth's sky.That put the comet about 10 degrees fromEarth's North Celestial Polemaking the comet's positioncircumpolar,always above the horizon, from all locations onplanet Earth at more than 10 degrees northern latitude.In the startrail image,the extension of Earth's axis of rotation into space is at the left.North star Polaristraces the short,bright, concentric arc less than a degree from theNorth Celestial Pole.The trail of Comet ZTF is indicated at the right,its apparent motionmostlyreflecting Earth'srotation like the stars.But heading for its closest approach to planet Earth on February 1,the comet is also moving significantlywith respect to the background stars.The diffuse greenish trail of Comet ZTF is an almost concentricarc mingled with startrails as it...

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 February 3 Polaris and the Trail of Comet ZTF Image Credit &Copyright:David Ibarra Gomez Explanation: Stars trace concentric arcsaround the North Celestial Pole in thisthree hour long night sky composite,recorded with a digital camera fixed to a tripodon January 31, near Àger, Lleida, Spain.On that dateComet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)was near its northernmost declination inplanet Earth's sky.That put the comet about 10 degrees fromEarth's North Celestial Polemaking the comet's positioncircumpolar,always above the horizon, from all locations onplanet Earth at more than 10 degrees northern latitude.In the startrail image,the extension of Earth's axis of rotation into space is at the left.North star Polaristraces the short,bright, concentric arc less than a degree from theNorth Celestial Pole.The trail of Comet ZTF is indicated at the right,its apparent motionmostlyreflecting Earth'srotation like the stars.But heading for its closest approach to planet Earth on February 1,the comet is also moving significantlywith respect to the background stars.The diffuse greenish trail of Comet ZTF is an almost concentricarc mingled with startrails as it sweeps through thelong-necked constellation Camelopardalis. Tomorrow's picture:...

APOD: 2023 February 2 - Reflections on the 1970s 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 February 2 Reflections on the 1970s Image Credit &Copyright:Daniel Stern Explanation: The 1970s aresometimes ignored by astronomers.For example, this beautiful grouping of reflection nebulaein Orion - NGC 1977, NGC 1975, and NGC 1973 - isusually overlooked in favor of the substantial glow from thenearby stellar nursery better known asthe Orion Nebula.Found along Orion's sword just northof the bright Orion Nebula complex, these reflection nebulae arealso associated with Orion's giant molecular cloud about1,500 light-years away, butare dominated by the characteristic blue color of interstellardust reflectinglight from hot young stars.In this sharp color imagea portion of the Orion Nebula appearsalong the bottom border with the clusterof reflection nebulaeat picture center.NGC 1977stretches across the field just below center,separated from NGC 1973 (above right) and NGC 1975 (above left)by dark regions laced with faint red emission fromhydrogen atoms.Taken together, the dark regions suggest the popular moniker, theRunning Man Nebula.At the estimated distance of Orion's dusty molecular cloud this running manwould be about 15 light-years across. Tomorrow's picture: the trail of Comet...

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 February 2 Reflections on the 1970s Image Credit &Copyright:Daniel Stern Explanation: The 1970sare sometimes ignored by astronomers,like this beautiful grouping of reflection nebulaein Orion - NGC 1977, NGC 1975, and NGC 1973 - usually overlooked in favor of the substantial glow from thenearby stellar nursery better known asthe Orion Nebula.Found along Orion's sword just northof the bright Orion Nebula complex, these reflection nebulae arealso associated with Orion's giant molecular cloud about1,500 light-years away, butare dominated by the characteristic blue color of interstellardust reflectinglight from hot young stars.In this sharp color imagea portion of the Orion Nebula appearsalong the bottom border with the clusterof reflection nebulaeat picture center.NGC 1977stretches across the field just below center,separated from NGC 1973 (above right) and NGC 1975 (above left)by dark regions laced with faint red emission fromhydrogen atoms.Taken together, the dark regions suggest the region's popular moniker, theRunning Man Nebula.At the estimated distance of Orion's dusty molecular cloud this running manwould be about 15 light-years across. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space <| Archive| Submissions | Index|...

Comet ZTF over Mount Etna

APOD: 2023 January 27 - Comet ZTF: Orbital Plane Crossing 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 January 27 Comet ZTF: Orbital Plane Crossing Image Credit &Copyright:Dan Bartlett Explanation: The current darlingof thenorthern night,Comet C/2022 E3 ZTFis captured in this telescopic image from a dark sky locationat June Lake, California, USA.Of course Comet ZTFhas beengrowing brighterin recent days,headed for its closest approach to Earth on February 1. But this view was recorded on January 23, very close to the timeplanet Earth crossed the orbital plane oflong-periodComet ZTF.The comet's broad, whitish dust tail is still curved andfanned outaway from the Sun as Comet ZTF sweeps along its orbit.Due to perspective near theorbital planecrossing, components of the fanned out dust tail appearon both sides of the comet's green tinted coma though, to lendComet ZTF a visually striking (left)anti-tail.Buffeted by solar activitythe comet's narrower ion tail also streams awayfrom the coma diagonally to the right,across the nearly three degree wide field of view. Comet ZTF Gallery: Notable Submissions to APOD Tomorrow's picture: over the mountain <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD|...