APOD: 2022 July 7 - The NGC 6914 Complex 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 July 7 The NGC 6914 Complex Image Credit &Copyright: Giorgio Ferrari Explanation: A study in contrasts,this colorful skyscapefeaturesstars, dust, and glowing gasin the vicinity of NGC 6914.Theinterstellar complex of nebulaelies some 6,000 light-years away,toward the high-flying northern constellationCygnus and the plane of ourMilky Way Galaxy.Obscuring interstellar dust clouds appear insilhouette while reddish hydrogenemission nebulae,along with the dusty bluereflection nebulae,fill the cosmic canvas.Ultraviolet radiation from the massive, hot, young stars of the extensiveCygnus OB2association ionize the region's atomichydrogen gas, producingthe characteristic red glow as protons and electrons recombine.Embedded Cygnus OB2 stars also provide theblue starlight strongly reflected by the dust clouds.The over 1 degree wide telescopic field of view spansabout 100 light-years at the estimated distance of NGC 6914. Tomorrow's picture: star treels<| 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& Michigan Tech. U.

Our sky is alive with the streams of stars.

APOD: 2022 July 5 - A Molten Galaxy Einstein Ring 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 July 5 A Molten Galaxy Einstein Ring Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, S. Jha; Processing: Jonathan Lodge Explanation: It is difficult to hide a galaxy behind a cluster of galaxies. The closer cluster's gravity will act like a huge lens, pulling images of the distant galaxy around the sides and greatly distorting them. This is just the case observed in the featured image recently re-processed image from the Hubble Space Telescope. The cluster GAL-CLUS-022058c is composed of many galaxies and is lensing the image of a yellow-red background galaxy into arcs seen around the image center. Dubbed a molten Einstein ring for its unusual shape, four images of the same background galaxy have been identified.Typically, a foreground galaxy cluster can only create such smooth arcs if most of its mass is smoothly distributed -- and therefore not concentrated in the cluster galaxies visible. Analyzing the positions of these gravitational arcs gives astronomers a method to estimate the dark matter distribution in galaxy clusters, as well...

APOD: 2022 July 4 - Strawberry Supermoon Over Devils Saddle 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 July 4 Strawberry Supermoon Over Devil's Saddle Image Credit & Copyright: Lorenzo Busilacchi Explanation: Near the horizonthe full moon often seems to loom large,swollen in appearance by the famous Moon illusion.But time-lapse image sequences demonstrate that the Moon's angular size doesn't really change as it rises or sets.Its color does, though.Recording a frame about every 60 seconds, this image also shows howred the Sun can look while low on the horizon.The featured montage was taken from Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, the day after June'sStrawberry Moon, a full moon dubbed a supermoon due toits slightly larger-than-usual angular size. This Strawberry Supermoon is seen rising behind the Devil's Saddle, a mountain named for the unusual moon-sized dip seen just to the right of the rising moon.A shrinking line-of-sight through planet Earth'sdense and dusty atmosphere shifted the moonlight fromstrawberry red through honey-colored and paler yellowish hues.That change seems appropriate for a northern June Full Moonalso known as theStrawberry orHoney Moon.A Thunder Supermoon -- the third of four supermoons in 2022...

APOD: 2022 July 3 - Phobos: Doomed Moon of 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 July 3 Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars Image Credit: HiRISE,MRO,LPL (U. Arizona),NASA Explanation: This moon is doomed.Mars,the red planet named for theRoman god of war, has two tiny moons,Phobos andDeimos, whosenames are derived from the Greek for Fear andPanic.These martian moons may well be capturedasteroidsoriginating in the main asteroid belt between Mars andJupiteror perhaps from even more distant reaches of our Solar System.The larger moon, Phobos, is indeed seento be a cratered, asteroid-like object in thisstunning color image from the robotic Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,with objects as small as 10 meters visible.But Phobos orbits so close to Mars - about 5,800 kilometers above the surface compared to 400,000 kilometersfor our Moon - that gravitationaltidal forces are dragging it down.In perhaps 50 million years, Phobos is expected to disintegrate into a ring of debris. Tomorrow's picture: strawberry supermoon <| 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...

APOD: 2022 July 2 - Solargraphic Analemmas 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 July 2 Solargraphic Analemmas Image Credit &Copyright: Dawid Rycabel(Pinholove) Explanation: For the northern hemisphere June 21 was the summer solstice,the Sun reachingits northernmost declination for the year.That would put it at the top of each of these threefigure-8 curves, or analemmas,as it passed through the daytime sky over the village of Proboszczow, Poland.No sequence of digital exposures was used to construct theremarkable image though.Using a pinhole camera fixed to face southduring the period June 26, 2021 to June 26, 2022,the image was formed directly on a single sheet of photographic paper, atechnique known as solargraphy.The three analemmas are the result of briefly exposing the photopaper through the pinhole each day at 11:00, 12:00, and 13:00 CET.Groups of dashed lines on the sides show partial tracks of the Sunfrom daily exposures made every 15 minutes.Over the year-longsolargraphic photo opportunityclouds blocking the Sun during the pinhole exposures createdthe dark gaps. Tomorrow's picture: doomed moon of Mars<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors:...

APOD: 2022 July 1 - The Solar System's Planet Trails 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 July 1 The Solar System's Planet Trails Image Credit &Copyright: Zheng Zhi Explanation: Stars trail through a clear morning sky inthis postcard froma rotating planet.The timelapse image is constructed from consecutive exposures madeover nearly three hours with a camera fixed to a tripod besidethe Forbidden City in Beijing, China on June 24.Arcing above the eastern horizon after the series ofexposures began,a waning crescent Moon left the brightest streak and watery reflection.On that date theplanets of the Solar Systemwere alsolined up along the eclipticand left their own trails before sunrise. Saturn was first to rise on that morning and the ringed planet's trailstarts close to the top right edge, almost out of the frame.Innermost planet Mercury rose only just before the Sun though.It left the shortest trail, visible against the twilightnear the horizon at the far left.Uranus and Neptune are faint and hard to find,but mingled with the star trails theSolar System'splanet trails are all labeled in the scene. Tomorrow's picture: analemmas from a can<| Archive| Submissions...

APOD: 2022 June 30 - Comet C 2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) 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 June 30 Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) Image Credit &Copyright: Jose J. Chambo (Cometografia) Explanation: Imaged on June 20 2022, cometC/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS)shares this widetelescopic field of view with open star cluster IC 4665 and bright starBeta Ophiuchi, near a starry edge of the Milky Way.On its maiden voyage to the inner Solar Systemfrom the dim anddistant Oort cloud,this comet PanSTARRS was initially spotted over five years ago,in May 2017.Then it was themost distant active inbound cometever found,discovered when it was some 2.4 billion kilometers from the Sun.That put it between theorbital distancesof Uranus and Saturn.Hubble Space Telescopeobservations indicatedthe comet had a large nucleus less than 18 kilometers in diameter. Now visible insmall telescopes C/2017 K2will make its closest approachto planet Earth on July 14 and closest approach to the Sun this December.Its extended coma and developing tail areseen here at a distance of some 290 million kilometers, a mere16 light-minutes away. Tomorrow's picture: solar system trails<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD|...

APOD: 2022 June 29 - Solar System Family Portrait 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 June 29 Solar System Family Portrait Image Credit & Copyright: Alexis Trigo Explanation: Yes, but have you ever seen all of the planets at once?A rare roll-call of planets has been occurring in the morning sky for much of June. The featured fisheye all-sky image, taken a few mornings ago near the town of San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, caught not only the entire planet parade, but the Moon between Mars and Venus. In order, left to right along the ecliptic plane, members of this Solar System family portrait are Earth, Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus, Venus, Mercury, and Earth. To emphasize their locations, Neptune and Uranus have been artificially enhanced.The volcano just below Mercury is Licancabur.In July, Mercury will move into the Sun's glare but reappear a few days later on the evening side. Then, in August, Saturn will drift past the direction opposite the Sun and so become visible at dusk instead of dawn. The next time that all eight planets will be simultaneously...

APOD: 2022 June 28 - Mercury from Passing BepiColombo 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 June 28 Mercury from Passing BepiColombo Image Credit & License: ESA, JAXA, BepiColombo, MTM Explanation: Which part of the Moon is this? No part -- because this is the planet Mercury. Mercury's old surface is heavily cratered like that of Earth's Moon. Mercury, while only slightly larger than Luna, is much denser and more massive than any Solar System moon because it is made mostly of iron. In fact, our Earth is the only planet more dense. Because Mercury rotates exactly three times for every two orbits around the Sun, and because Mercury's orbit is so elliptical, visitors on Mercury could see the Sun rise, stop in the sky, go back toward the rising horizon, stop again, and then set quickly over the other horizon. From Earth, Mercury's proximity to the Sun causes it to be visible only for a short time just after sunset or just before sunrise.The featured image was captured last week by ESA and JAXA's passing BepiColombo spacecraft as it sheds energy and...

APOD: 2022 June 27 - The Gum Nebula over Snowy Mountains 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 June 27 The Gum Nebula over Snowy Mountains Image Credit & Copyright: Wang Jin Explanation: The Gum Nebula is so large and close it is actually hard to see.This interstellar expanse of glowing hydrogen gas frequently evadesnotice because it spans 35 degrees -- over 70 full Moons -- while much of it is quite dim.This featured spectacular 90-degree wide mosaic, however, was designed to be both wide and deep enough to bring up the Gum -- visible in red on the right.The image was acquired late last year with both the foreground -- including Haba Snow Mountain -- and the background -- including the Milky Way's central band -- captured by the same cameraand from the same location in Shangri-La, Yunnan, China.The Gum Nebula is so close that we are only about450 light-years from the front edge, while about 1,500 light-years from the back edge.Named for a cosmic cloud hunter, Australian astronomerColin Stanley Gum(1924-1960), the origin of this complexnebula is still being debated.A leading theory...

APOD: 2022 June 26 - Light Echoes from V838 Mon 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 June 26 Light Echoes from V838 Mon Image Credit: NASA,ESA,H. E. Bond (STScI) Explanation: What caused this outburst of V838 Mon? For reasons unknown, star V838 Mon's outer surface suddenly greatly expanded with the result that it became one of the brighter stars in the Milky Way Galaxy in early 2002. Then, just as suddenly, it shrunk and faded. A stellar flash like this had never been seen before -- supernovas and novas expel matter out into space. Although the V838 Mon flash appears to expel material into space, what is seen in the featured image from the Hubble Space Telescope is actually an outwardly expanding light echo of the original flash. In a light echo, light from the flash is reflected by successively more distant surfaces in the complex array of ambient interstellar dust that already surrounded the star. V838 Mon lies about 20,000 light years away toward the constellation of the unicorn (Monoceros), while the light echo above spans about six light years in...

APOD: 2022 June 25 - Planets of the Solar System 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 June 25 Planets of the Solar System Image Credit &Copyright: Antonio Canaveras,Chiara Tronci,Giovanni Esposito,Giuseppe Conzo,Luciana Guariglia,(Gruppo Astrofili Palidoro) Explanation: Simultaneousimages from four cameras were combined to construct thisatmospheric predawn skyscape.The cooperative astro-panoramacaptures all theplanets of the Solar System,just before sunrise on June 24.That foggy morning found innermost planet Mercury close to the horizonbut just visible against the twilight, below and left of brilliant Venus.Along with the waning crescent Moon, the otherbright naked-eye planets,Mars, Jupiter, and Saturnlie near the ecliptic, arcing up and to the right acrossthe wide field of view.Binoculars would have been required to spot the much fainterplanets Uranus and Neptune, thoughthey also were along the ecliptic in the sky.In the foreground are excavations at an ancient Roman villa nearMarina di San Nicola, Italy,planet Earth. Tomorrow's picture: echo monoceros<| 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& Michigan Tech....

APOD: 2022 June 24 - Filaprom on the Western 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 June 24 Filaprom on the Western Limb Image Credit &Copyright: Martin Wise Explanation: A solar filamentis an enormous stream ofincandescent plasma suspended above theactive surface of the Sunby looping magnetic fields.Seen against the solar disk it looks dark only because it's a littlecooler, and so slightly dimmer, than thesolar photosphere.Suspended above the solar limb the same structure looks brightwhen viewed against the blackness of spaceand is called a solar prominence.A filaprom would be both of course, a stream of magnetized plasmathat crosses in front of the solar disk andextends beyond the Sun's edge.In thishydrogen-alphaclose-up ofthe Sun captured on June 22,active regionAR3038 is near the center of the frame.Active region AR3032 is seen at the far right, close to theSun's western limb.As AR3032 is carried byrotation towardthe Sun's visible edge,what was once a giant filament above it is now partly seen as a prominence,How big isAR3032's filaprom?For scale planet Earth is shown near the top right corner. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS|...

APOD: 2022 June 23 - Spiral Galaxy NGC 6744 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 June 23 Spiral Galaxy NGC 6744 Image Credit &Copyright: Basudeb Chakrabarti,Telescope Live Explanation: Beautiful spiral galaxy NGC 6744is nearly 175,000 light-years across, larger thanour own Milky Way.It lies some 30 million light-years distant in the southernconstellation Pavo but appears as only a faint, extended object insmall telescopes.We see the disk of the nearby island universe tilted towards ourline of sight in this remarkably detailed galaxy portrait,a telescopic view that spans an area about theangular size of a full moon.In it, the giant galaxy'selongated yellowish coreis dominated by the light from old, cool stars.Beyond the core, grand spiral arms are filled withyoung blue star clusters and speckled with pinkish star forming regions.An extended arm sweeps past smaller satellite galaxy NGC 6744Aat the lower right.NGC 6744's galactic companion is reminiscent of the Milky Way'ssatellite galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud. 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...

APOD: 2022 June 22 - Supernova Remnant: The Veil 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 June 22 Supernova Remnant: The Veil Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Craig Stocks(Utah Desert Remote Observatories) Explanation: Ten thousand years ago, before the dawn of recorded human history, a new light would have suddenly have appeared in the night sky and faded after a few weeks. Today we know this light was from asupernova,or exploding star,and record the expanding debris cloud as the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant. Imaged with color filters featuring light emitted bysulfur (red), hydrogen (green), and oxygen (blue), this deep wide-angle view was processed to remove the stars and so better capture the impressive glowing filaments of the Veil. Also known as the Cygnus Loop, the Veil Nebula is roughly circular in shape and covers nearly 3 degrees on the sky toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus).Famous nebular sections include the Bat Nebula, the Witch's Broom Nebula, and Fleming's Triangular Wisp. The complete supernova remnant lies about 1,400light-years away. Tomorrow's picture: open space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS|...

APOD: 2022 June 21 - Analemma over Taipei 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 June 21 Analemma over Taipei Image Credit & Copyright: Meiying Lee Explanation: Does the Sun return to the same spot on the sky every day? No. A better and more visual answer to that question is an analemma, a composite of images taken at the same time and from the same place over the course of a year.The featured analemma was compiled at 4:30 pm many afternoons from Taiwan during 2021, with the city skyline of Taipei in the foreground, including tall Taipei 101.The Sun's location in December -- at the December solstice -- is shown on the far left, while its location at the June solstice is captured on the far right.Also shown are the positions of the Sun throughout the rest of the day on the solstices and equinoxes. Today is the June solstice of 2022, the day in Earth's northern hemisphere when the Sun spends the longest time in the sky. In many countries, today marks the official beginning of a new season, for example...

APOD: 2022 June 20 - Rock Fingers 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 June 20 Rock Fingers on Mars Image Credit: NASA,JPL-Caltech,MSSS Explanation: There, just right of center, what is that?The surface of Mars keeps revealing new surprises with the recent discovery of finger-like rock spires.The small nearly-vertical rock outcrops were imaged last month by the robotic Curiosity rover on Mars.Although similar in size and shape to small snakes, the leading explanation for their origin is as conglomerations of small minerals left by water flowing through rock crevices.After these relatively dense minerals filled the crevices, they were left behind when the surrounding rock eroded away. Famous rock outcrops on Earth with a similar origin are called hoodoos.NASA's Curiosity Rover continues to search for new signs of ancient water in Gale Crater on Mars, while also providing a geologic background important for future human exploration. Explore Your Universe: Random APOD Generator Tomorrow's picture: city suns <| 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...

APOD: 2022 June 19 - Game: Super Planet Crash 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 June 19 Game: Super Planet Crash Game Credit & License: Stefano Meschiari(U. Texas at Austin)& the SAVE/Point Team Explanation: Can you create a planetary system that lasts for 1000 years?Super Planet Crash, the featured game, allows you to try. To create up to ten planets, just click anywhere near the central star. Planet types can be selected on the left in order of increasing mass: Earth, Super-Earth, Ice giant, Giant planet, Brown dwarf, orDwarf star.Each planet is gravitationally attracted not only to the central Sun-like star, but to other planets.Points are awarded, with bonus factors applied for increasingly crowded and habitable systems.The game ends after 1000 years or when a planet is gravitationally expelled.Many exoplanetary systems are being discovered in recent years, and Super Planet Crash demonstrates why some remain stable. As you might suspect after playing Super Planet Crash a few times, there is reason to believe that our own Solar System has lost planets during its formation. Tomorrow's picture: mini-spires on mars<| Archive| Submissions |...

APOD: 2022 June 18 - The Gamma Cygni 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 June 18 The Gamma Cygni Nebula Image Credit &Copyright: Min Xie,Chen Wu, Yizhou Zhang, and Benchu Tang Explanation: Supergiant starGamma Cygni is at the center of the Northern Cross.Near the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, that famousasterism flieshigh in northern summer night skies in the constellationCygnus the Swan.Known by the propername Sadr,Gamma Cygni also lies just below center inthis telescopic skyscape,with colors mapped from both broadband and narrowband image data.The field of view spans about 3 degrees(six Full Moons) on the sky and includesemission nebula IC 1318 and open star cluster NGC 6910.Filling the upper part of the frame and shaped like two glowingcosmic wings divided by a long darkdust lane, IC 1318's popular name is understandably theButterfly Nebula.Right of Gamma Cygni, are the young, still tightly groupedstars of NGC 6910.The distanceto Gamma Cygni is around 560 parsecs or 1,800 light-years.Estimates for IC 1318 andNGC 6910range from 2,000 to 5,000 light-years. Tomorrow's picture: don't crash<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss|...