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 December 12 An Unusual Globule in IC 1396 Image Credit & Copyright: Bernard Miller Explanation: Is there a monster in IC 1396? Known to some as the Elephant's Trunk Nebula, parts of gas and dust clouds of this star formation region may appear to take on foreboding forms, some nearly human. The only real monster here, however, is a bright young star too far from Earth to hurt us. Energetic light from this star is eating away the dust of the dark cometary globule near the top of the featured image. Jets and winds of particles emitted from this star are also pushing away ambient gas and dust. Nearly 3,000 light-years distant, the relatively faint IC 1396 complex covers a much larger region on the sky than shown here, with an apparent width of more than 10 full moons. Tomorrow's picture: art and sky <| 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: 2022 December 10 - America and the Sea of Serenity 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 December 10 America and the Sea of Serenity Gene Cernan,Apollo 17,NASA;Anaglyph byPatrick Vantuyne Explanation: Get out yourred/blue glasses andcheck out this stereo view of another world.Fifty years agothescene was recordedby Apollo 17 mission commanderEugene Cernan on December 11, 1972,one orbit before descending to land on the Moon.The stereo anaglyph was assembled from two photographs(AS17-147-22465, AS17-147-22466)captured from his vantage point on board the Lunar Module Challenger as heand Dr. Harrison Schmitt flew over Apollo 17'slanding site in theTaurus-LittrowValley.The broad, sunlit face of the mountain dubbedSouth Massif rises near the centerof the frame, above the dark floor ofTaurus-Littrow to its left.Piloted by Ron Evans, the Command Module America isvisible in orbit in the foreground against theSouth Massif's peak.Beyond the mountains, toward the lunar limb, lies the Moon'sMare Serenitatis. Tomorrow's picture: Io <| 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...

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 December 11 Io in True Color Image Credit: NASA, JPL, Galileo Project Explanation: The strangest moon in the Solar System is bright yellow. The featured picture, an attempt to show how Io would appear in the "true colors" perceptible to the average human eye, was taken in 1999 July by the Galileo spacecraft that orbited Jupiter from 1995 to 2003. Io's colors derive from sulfur and molten silicate rock. The unusual surface of Io is kept very young by its system of active volcanoes. The intense tidal gravity of Jupiter stretches Io and damps wobbles caused by Jupiter's other Galilean moons. The resulting friction greatly heats Io's interior, causing molten rock to explode through the surface. Io's volcanoes are so active that they are effectively turning the whole moon inside out. Some of Io's volcanic lava is so hot it glows in the dark. Artemis 1 Coverage: Orion return and splashdown Tomorrow's picture: interstellar dust monster <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors &...

APOD: 2022 December 9 - Mars Rises above the Lunar Limb 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 December 9 Mars Rises above the Lunar Limb Image Credit &Copyright: Tom Glenn Explanation: On the night of December 7Mars wandered near the Full Moon.In factthe Red Planet was occulted, passingbehind the Moon, when viewed from locations acrossEurope and North America.About an hour after disappearing behind the lunar diskMars reappears in this stack ofsharp video frames capturedfrom San Diego,planet Earth.With the Moon in the foreground Mars was a mere 82 million kilometersdistant, nearits own opposition.Full Moon and full Mars were bright enough to provide thespectacular image with no exposure adjustments necessary.In the image Mars appearsto rise just over ancient, dark-floored,lunar crater Abelvery close to the southeastern edge of the Moon'snear side.Humboldt is the large impact crater to its north (left). Tomorrow's picture: America and the Sea of Serenity <| 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&...

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 December 10 America and the Sea of Serenity Gene Cernan,Apollo 17,NASA;Anaglyph byPatrick Vantuyne Explanation: Get out yourred/blue glasses andcheck out this stereo view of another world.Fifty years agothescene was recordedby Apollo 17 mission commanderEugene Cernan on December 11, 1972,one orbit before descending to land on the Moon.The stereo anaglyph was assembled from two photographs(AS17-147-22465, AS17-147-22466)captured from his vantage point on board the Lunar Module Challenger as heand Dr. Harrison Schmitt flew over Apollo 17'slanding site in theTaurus-LittrowValley.The broad, sunlit face of the mountain dubbedSouth Massif rises near the centerof the frame, above the dark floor ofTaurus-Littrow to its left.Piloted by Ron Evans, the Command Module America isvisible in orbit in the foreground against theSouth Massif's peak.Beyond the mountains, toward the lunar limb, lies the Moon'sMare Serenitatis. Tomorrow's picture: Io <| 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: 2022 December 8 - Orion and the Ocean of Storms 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 December 8 Orion and the Ocean of Storms Image Credit:NASA,Artemis 1 Explanation: A camera on board the uncrewed Orion spacecraft capturedthis view on December 5as Orion approached its return poweredflyby of the Moon. Below one of Orion's extended solar arrays lies dark, smooth,terrain along thewestern edge of the Oceanus Procellarum.Prominent on the lunar nearsideOceanus Procellarum,the Ocean of Storms, is the largest of theMoon's lava-flooded maria.The lunar terminator, shadow line between lunar night and day,runs along the left of the frame.The 41 kilometer diametercrater Mariusis top center, with raycrater Keplerpeeking in at the edge, just right of the solar array wing.Kepler's bright rays extend to the north and west, reaching thedark-floored Marius.Of course theOrion spacecraft is now headed toward aDecember 11 splashdown inplanet Earth'swater-flooded Pacific Ocean. 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...

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 December 9 Mars Rises above the Lunar Limb Image Credit &Copyright: Tom Glenn Explanation: On the night of December 7Mars wandered near the Full Moon.In factthe Red Planet was occulted, passingbehind the Moon, when viewed from locations acrossEurope and North America.About an hour after disappearing behind the lunar diskMars reappears in this stack ofsharp video frames capturedfrom San Diego,planet Earth.With the Moon in the foreground Mars was a mere 82 million kilometersdistant, nearits own opposition.Full Moon and full Mars were bright enough provide thespectacular image with no exposure adjustments necessary.In the image Mars appearsto rise just over ancient, dark-floored,lunar crater Abelvery close to the southeastern edge of the Moon'snear side.Humboldt is the large impact crater to its north (left). Tomorrow's picture: Challenger and the Sea of Serenity <| 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: 2022 December 7 - NGC 7293: The Helix 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 December 7 NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula Image Credit &Copyright:Tommaso Stella Explanation: A mere seven hundred light years from Earth, toward the constellationAquarius,a sun-like star is dying.The dying star's last few thousand years have produced theHelixNebula (NGC 7293), a well studied and nearby example of aPlanetaryNebula, typical of this final phase of stellar evolution. Combining narrow band image data from emission lines of hydrogen atomsin red and oxygen atoms in blue-green hues,it shows tantalizingdetailsof the Helix, including its bright inner regionabout 3 light-years across.The white dot at the Helix's center is this Planetary Nebula's hot,central star.A simple looking nebula at first glance,the Helix is now understood to have a surprisinglycomplex geometry. Tomorrow's picture: Orion and the Ocean of Storms <| 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. 2022 December 8 Orion and the Ocean of Storms Image Credit:NASA,Artemis 1 Explanation: A camera on board the uncrewed Orion spacecraft capturedthis view on December 5as Orion approached its return poweredflyby of the Moon. Below one of Orion's extended solar arrays lies dark, smooth,terrain along thewestern edge of the Oceanus Procellarum.Prominent on the lunar nearsideOceanus Procellarum,the Ocean of Storms, is the largest of theMoon's lava-flooded maria.The lunar terminator, shadow line between lunar night and day,runs along the left of the frame.The 41 kilometer diametercrater Mariusis top center, with raycrater Keplerpeeking in at the edge, just right of the solar array wing.Kepler's bright rays extend to the north and west, reaching thedark-floored Marius.Of course theOrion spacecraft is now headed toward aDecember 11 splashdown inplanet Earth'swater-flooded Pacific Ocean. 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.

APOD: 2022 December 6 - M16: A Star Forming Pillar 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 December 6 M16: A Star Forming Pillar from Webb Image Credit: NASA,ESA,CSA,STScI, Processing & Copyright: Mehmet Hakan Özsaraç Explanation: What’s happening inside this interstellar mountain?Stars are forming.The mountain is actually a column of gas and dust in the picturesque Eagle Nebula (M16). A pillar like this is so low in density that you could easily fly though it -- it only appears solid because of its high dust content and great depth.The glowing areas are lit internally by newly formed stars.These areas shine in red and infrared light because blue light is scattered away by intervening interstellar dust.The featured image was captured recently in near-infrared light in unprecedented detail by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched late last year.Energetic light, abrasive winds, and final supernovas from these young stars will slowly destroy this stellar birth column over the next 100,000 years. Astrophysicists: Browse 2,900+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library Tomorrow's picture: open space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS|...

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 December 7 NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula Image Credit &Copyright:Tommaso Stella Explanation: A mere seven hundred light years from Earth, toward the constellationAquarius,a sun-like star is dying.The dying star's last few thousand years have produced theHelixNebula (NGC 7293), a well studied and nearby example of aPlanetaryNebula, typical of this final phase of stellar evolution. Combining narrow band image data from emission lines of hydrogen atomsin red and oxygen atoms in blue-green hues,it shows tantalizingdetailsof the Helix, including its bright inner regionabout 3 light-years across.The white dot at the Helix's center is this Planetary Nebula's hot,central star.A simple looking nebula at first glance,the Helix is now understood to have a surprisinglycomplex geometry. 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.

APOD: 2022 December 5 - Pleiades: The Seven Sisters Star Cluster 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 December 5 Pleiades: The Seven Sisters Star Cluster Image Credit & Copyright: Blake Estes (iTelescope Siding Spring Obs.) & Christian Sasse Explanation: Have you ever seen the Pleiades star cluster?Even if you have, you probably have never seen it as large and clear as this.Perhaps the most famous star cluster on the sky, the bright stars of the Pleiadescan be seen with the unaided eye even from the depths of alight-polluted city. With a long exposure from a dark location, though, the dust cloud surrounding the Pleiades star cluster becomes very evident.The featured 11-hour exposure, taken from the Siding Spring Observatoryin Australia, covers a sky area several times the size of the full moon. Also known as the Seven Sisters andM45,the Pleiades lies about 400 light years away toward the constellation of the Bull (Taurus). A common legend with a modern twist is that one of the brighter stars faded since the cluster was named, leaving only six of the sister stars visible to 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 December 6 M16: A Star Forming Pillar from Webb Image Credit: NASA,ESA,CSA,STScI, Processing & Copyright: Mehmet Hakan Özsaraç Explanation: What’s happening inside this interstellar mountain?Stars are forming.The mountain is actually a column of gas and dust in the picturesque Eagle Nebula (M16). A pillar like this is so low in density that you could easily fly though it -- it only appears solid because of its high dust content and great depth.The glowing areas are lit internally by newly formed stars.These areas shine in red and infrared light because blue light is scattered away by intervening interstellar dust.The featured image was captured recently in near-infrared light in unprecedented detail by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched late last year.Energetic light, abrasive winds, and final supernovas from these young stars will slowly destroy this stellar birth column over the next 100,000 years. Astrophysicists: Browse 2,900+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library Tomorrow's picture: open space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors &...

APOD: 2022 December 3 - Stereo Mars near Opposition 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 December 3 Stereo Mars near Opposition Image Credit &Copyright:Marco Lorenzi Explanation: Mars looks sharp in these two rooftop telescope views captured inlate November from Singapore, planet Earth.At the time,Mars was about 82 million kilometersfrom Singapore and approaching itsopposition, opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky on December 8.Olympus Mons,largest of the volcanoes in the Tharsis Montes region(and largest known volcano in the Solar System), is near Mars'western limb.In both the images it's the whitish donut-shape at the upper right.The dark area visible near center is theTerra Sirenumregion while the long dark peninsula closest to theplanet's eastern limb is Sinus Gomer.Near its tip is Gale crater,the Curiosity rover'slanding site in 2012.Above Sinus Gomer, white spots are other volcanoes in theElysiumregion.At top of the planet is the north polar capcovered with ice and clouds.Taken about two days apart, these images of the samemartian hemisphereform a stereo pair.Look at the center of the frame and cross your eyes untilthe separate images come together to see the Red Planet in 3D....

APOD: 2022 December 4 - Video: Powers of Ten 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. Video: Powers of Ten Video Credit & Copyright: Charles & Ray Eames (Eames Office) Explanation: How different does the universe look on very small scales? On very large scales?The most famous short science film of its generation gives breathtaking comparisons.That film, Powers of Ten, originally created in the 1960s, has been officially posted to YouTube and embeddedhere. From a picnic blanketnear Chicago out past theVirgo Cluster of Galaxies,every ten seconds the film zooms out to show a square a factor of ten times larger on each side.The 9-minute video then reverses, zooming back in a factor of ten every two seconds and ends up inside a single proton.The Powers of Ten sequence is actually based on the book Cosmic View by Kees Boeke in 1957, as is a similar but mostly animated film Cosmic Zoom that was also created in the late 1960s.The changing perspectives are so enthralling and educational that sections have been recreated using more modern computerized techniques, including the first few minutes of the movieContact.Ray...

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 December 5 Pleiades: The Seven Sisters Star Cluster Image Credit & Copyright: Blake Estes (iTelescope Siding Spring Obs.) & Christian Sasse Explanation: Have you ever seen the Pleiades star cluster?Even if you have, you probably have never seen it as large and clear as this.Perhaps the most famous star cluster on the sky, the bright stars of the Pleiadescan be seen with the unaided eye even from the depths of alight-polluted city. With a long exposure from a dark location, though, the dust cloud surrounding the Pleiades star cluster becomes very evident.The featured 11-hour exposure, taken from the Siding Spring Observatoryin Australia, covers a sky area several times the size of the full moon. Also known as the Seven Sisters andM45,the Pleiades lies about 400 light years away toward the constellation of the Bull (Taurus). A common legend with a modern twist is that one of the brighter stars faded since the cluster was named, leaving only six of the sister stars visible to the unaided eye.The actual number of Pleiades...

APOD: 2022 December 3 - Stereo 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 December 3 Stereo Mars near Opposition Image Credit &Copyright:Marco Lorenzi Explanation: Mars looks sharp in these two rooftop telescope views captured inlate November from Singapore, planet Earth.At the time,Mars was about 82 million kilometersfrom Singapore and approaching itsopposition, opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky on December 8.Olympus Mons,largest of the volcanoes in the Tharsis Montes region(and largest known volcano in the Solar System), is near Mars'western limb.In both the images it's the whitish donut-shape at the upper right.The dark area visible near center is theTerra Sirenumregion while the long dark peninsula closest to theplanet's eastern limb is Sinus Gomer.Near its tip is Gale crater,the Curiosity rover'slanding site in 2012.Above Sinus Gomer, white spots are other volcanoes in theElysiumregion.At top of the planet is the north polar capcovered with ice and clouds.Taken about two days apart, these images of the samemartian hemisphereform a stereo pair.Look at the center of the frame and cross your eyes untilthe separate images come together to see the Red Planet in 3D. Tomorrow's picture:...

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. Video: Powers of Ten Video Credit & Copyright: Charles & Ray Eames (Eames Office) Explanation: How different does the universe look on very small scales? On very large scales?The most famous short science film of its generation gives breathtaking comparisons.That film, Powers of Ten, originally created in the 1960s, has been officially posted to YouTube and embeddedhere. From a picnic blanketnear Chicago out past theVirgo Cluster of Galaxies,every ten seconds the film zooms out to show a square a factor of ten times larger on each side.The 9-minute video then reverses, zooming back in a factor of ten every two seconds and ends up inside a single proton.The Powers of Ten sequence is actually based on the book Cosmic View by Kees Boeke in 1957, as is a similar but mostly animated film Cosmic Zoom that was also created in the late 1960s.The changing perspectives are so enthralling and educational that sections have been recreated using more modern computerized techniques, including the first few minutes of the movieContact.Ray and husband Charles Eames,...

APOD: 2022 December 2 - Merging Galaxy Pair IIZw096 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 December 2 Merging Galaxy Pair IIZw096 Image Credit:ESA/Webb,NASA & CSA, L. Armus, A. Evans Explanation: Bright at infrared wavelengths,this merging galaxy pairis some 500 million light-years away toward theconstellation Delphinus.Thecosmic mashupis seen against a background of even more distant galaxies,and occasional spiky foreground stars.But the galaxy merger itself spans about 100,000 light-yearsin this deepJames Webb Space Telescope image.The image data is from Webb's Near-InfraRed Camera(NIRCam)and Mid-InfraRed Instrument(MIRI).Their combined, sharp infrared view follows galactic scalerestructuringin the dusty merger's wild jumble of intense star forming regions and distorted spiral arms Tomorrow's picture: Stereo Saturday <| 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. 2022 December 3 Stereo Mars near Opposition Image Credit &Copyright:Marco Lorenzi Explanation: Mars looks sharp in these two rooftop telescope views captured inlate November from Singapore, planet Earth.At the time,Mars was about 82 million kilometersfrom Singapore and approaching itsopposition, opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky on December 8.Olympus Mons,largest of the volcanoes in the Tharsis Montes region(and largest known volcano in the Solar System), is near Mars'western limb.In both the images it's the whitish donut-shape at the upper right.The dark area visible near center is theTerra Sirenumregion while the long dark peninsula closest to theplanet's eastern limb is Sinus Gomer.Near its tip is Gale crater,the Curiosity rover'slanding site in 2012.Above Sinus Gomer, white spots are other volcanoes in theElysiumregion.At top of the planet is the north polar capcovered with ice and clouds.Taken about two days apart, these images of the samemartian hemisphereform a stereo pair.Look at the center of the frame and cross your eyes untilthe separate images come together to see the Red Planet in 3D. Tomorrow's picture: Powers of...