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 November 11 Blood Moon, Ice Giant Image Credit &Copyright: Ryan Han Explanation: On November 8 the Full Moonturned blood red as it slid through Earth'sshadow in a beautiful total lunar eclipse.During totalityit also passed in front of, orocculted, outer planet Uranusfor eclipse viewers located in parts of northern America and Asia.For a close-up and wider viewthese two images were taken just before the occultation began,captured with different telescopes and camerasfrom the same roof top in Shanghai, China.Normally very faint compared to a Full Moon, the tiny,pale, greenish disk of thedistant ice giantis just to the left of the Moon's edge and aboutto disappear behind the darkened, red lunar limb.Though only visible from certain locations across planet Earth,lunar occultations of planets arefairly common.But for this rare "lunar eclipse occultation" to take place,at the time of the total eclipse the outer planet had to be both atopposition and very near the ecliptic plane tofall in line with Sun, Earth, and Moon. Lunar Eclipse of November 2022: Notable Submissions to APOD Love Eclipses? (US):...

APOD: 2022 November 9 - The Asymmetric Nebula Surrounding Wolf Rayet Star 18 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 November 9 The Asymmetric Nebula Surrounding Wolf-Rayet Star 18 Image Credit & Copyright: Alex Woronow Explanation: Why does the nebula around the star WR-18 shine brighter on one side?Also known as NGC 3199, this active star and its surrounding nebula lie about 12,000 light-years away toward the nautical southern constellationof Carina.The featured deep image has been highly processed to bring out filamentary details of the glowing gas in the bubble-shaped nebula. The nebula is about 75 light-years across.Near the nebula's center is aWolf-Rayet star, WR-18, which is a massive, hot, short-lived star that generates an intense and complex stellar wind.In fact, Wolf-Rayet stars are known to create nebulaswith interesting shapesas their powerful winds sweep up surroundinginterstellarmaterial.In this case, the bright right edge was initially thought to indicate that abow shock was being produced as the star plowed through a uniform medium, like a boat through water.Recent measurements and analyses, however, have shown the star is not moving quickly toward the bright edge.A more...

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 November 10 Total Lunar Eclipse Image Credit: KPNO / NOIRLab /NSF /AURA / Petr Horalek(Institute of Physics in Opava) Explanation: The beginning, middle, and endof a journey through planet Earth's colorfulumbral shadowis captured in this timelapse composite image of atotal lunar eclipse.Taken onNovember 8from Kitt Peak National Observatorythis eclipse's 1 hour and 25 minute long total phase starts on the right and finishes on the left.Reddened sunlight, scattered into the central shadow by Earth'sdusty atmosphere produces thedramatic dark red hues reflected by the lunar disk.For this eclipse, additional reddening is likely due to scatteringfrom ash lingering in the atmosphere after a largevolcanic eruption in the southern Pacificearlier this year.Seen at the right and left, the Earth's shadow is still lighteralong its edge though.That faint bluish fringealong the lunar limb is colored bysunlight filtered through Earth's stratosphericozone layer. Tomorrow's picture: ice giant, red moon <| 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...

APOD: 2022 November 8 - Galaxies: Wilds Triplet from Hubble 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 November 8 Galaxies: Wild's Triplet from Hubble Image Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, J. Dalcanton Explanation: How many galaxies are interacting here? This grouping of galaxies is called the Wild Triplet, not only for the discoverer, but for the number of bright galaxies that appear.It had been assumed that all three galaxies, collectively cataloged as Arp 248, are interacting, but more recent investigations reveal that only the brightest two galaxies are sparring gravitationally: the big galaxies at the top and bottom.The spiral galaxy in the middle of the featured image by the Hubble Space Telescope is actually far in the distance, as is the galaxy just below it and all of the other numerous galaxies in the field. A striking result of these giants jousting is a tremendous bridge of stars, gas, and dust that stretches between them -- a bridge almost 200,000 light-years long.Light we see today from Wild's Triplet left about 200 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.In perhaps a billion...

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 November 9 The Asymmetric Nebula Surrounding Wolf-Rayet Star 18 Image Credit & Copyright: Alex Woronow Explanation: Why does the nebula around the star WR-18 shine brighter on one side?Also known as NGC 3199, this active star and its surrounding nebula lie about 12,000 light-years away toward the nautical southern constellationof Carina.The featured deep image has been highly processed to bring out filamentary details of the glowing gas in the bubble-shaped nebula. The nebula is about 75 light-years across.Near the nebula's center is aWolf-Rayet star, WR-18, which is a massive, hot, short-lived star that generates an intense and complex stellar wind.In fact, Wolf-Rayet stars are known to create nebulaswith interesting shapesas their powerful winds sweep up surroundinginterstellarmaterial.In this case, the bright right edge was initially thought to indicate that abow shock was being produced as the star plowed through a uniform medium, like a boat through water.Recent measurements and analyses, however, have shown the star is not moving quickly toward the bright edge.A more likely explanation has emerged that thematerial surrounding the...

APOD: 2022 November 7 - A Total Lunar Eclipse Over Tajikistan 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. A Total Lunar Eclipse Over Tajikistan Video Credit & Copyright: Jean-Luc Dauvergne(Ciel et Espace); Music: Valère Leroy & Sophie Huet(Space-Music) Explanation: If the full Moon suddenly faded, what would you see?The answer was recorded in a dramatic time lapsevideo taken during the total lunareclipse in 2011 fromTajikistan.During atotal lunar eclipse, the Earth moves between the Moon and the Sun, causing the moon to fade dramatically.The Moon never gets completely dark, though, since the Earth's atmosphererefracts some light.As the featured video begins, the scene may appear to be daytime and sunlit, but actually it is a nighttime and lit by the glow of the full Moon.As the Moon becomes eclipsed and fades, background stars become visible and here can be seen reflected in a lake.Most spectacularly, thesky surrounding the eclipsed moonsuddenly appears to befull of stars and highlighted by the busy plane of ourMilky Way Galaxy.The sequence repeats with a closer view, and the final image shows the placement of the eclipsed Moon near theEagle,Swan,Trifid, andLagoon nebulas.Nearly...

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 November 8 Galaxies: Wild's Triplet from Hubble Image Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, J. Dalcanton Explanation: How many galaxies are interacting here? This grouping of galaxies is called the Wild Triplet, not only for the discoverer, but for the number of bright galaxies that appear.It had been assumed that all three galaxies, collectively cataloged as Arp 248, are interacting, but more recent investigations reveal that only the brightest two galaxies are sparring gravitationally: the big galaxies at the top and bottom.The spiral galaxy in the middle of the featured image by the Hubble Space Telescope is actually far in the distance, as is the galaxy just below it and all of the other numerous galaxies in the field. A striking result of these giants jousting is a tremendous bridge of stars, gas, and dust that stretches between them -- a bridge almost 200,000 light-years long.Light we see today from Wild's Triplet left about 200 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.In perhaps a billion years or so, the two...

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. A Total Lunar Eclipse Over Tajikistan Video Credit & Copyright: Jean-Luc Dauvergne(Ciel et Espace); Music: Valère Leroy & Sophie Huet(Space-Music) Explanation: If the full Moon suddenly faded, what would you see?The answer was recorded in a dramatic time lapsevideo taken during the total lunareclipse in 2011 fromTajikistan.During atotal lunar eclipse, the Earth moves between the Moon and the Sun, causing the moon to fade dramatically.The Moon never gets completely dark, though, since the Earth's atmosphererefracts some light.As the featured video begins, the scene may appear to be daytime and sunlit, but actually it is a nighttime and lit by the glow of the full Moon.As the Moon becomes eclipsed and fades, background stars become visible and here can be seen reflected in a lake.Most spectacularly, thesky surrounding the eclipsed moonsuddenly appears to befull of stars and highlighted by the busy plane of ourMilky Way Galaxy.The sequence repeats with a closer view, and the final image shows the placement of the eclipsed Moon near theEagle,Swan,Trifid, andLagoon nebulas.Nearly two hours after the eclipse started,...

APOD: 2022 November 6 - Dark Ball in Inverted Starfield 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 November 6 Dark Ball in Inverted Starfield Image Credit: Jim Lafferty Explanation: Does this strange dark ball look somehow familiar?If so, that might be because it is our Sun.In the featured image from 2012, a detailed solar view was captured originally in a very specific color of red light, then rendered in black and white, and then color inverted.Once complete, the resulting image was added to a starfield, then also color inverted.Visible in the image of the Sun are long light filaments, dark active regions, prominences peeking around the edge, and a moving carpet of hot gas.The surface of our Sun can be a busy place, in particular during Solar Maximum, the time when its surface magnetic field is wound up the most.Besides an active Sun being so picturesque, the plasma expelled can also become picturesque when it impacts the Earth's magnetosphere and creates auroras. Compute it Yourself: Browse 2,900+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library Tomorrow's picture: faded moon <| Archive| Submissions | Index|...

APOD: 2022 November 5 - Lunar Eclipse at the 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 November 5 Lunar Eclipse at the South Pole Image Credit &Copyright: Aman Chokshi Explanation: Last May 16 the Moonslid through Earth's shadow, completely immersed in the planet'sdark umbrafor about 1 hour and 25 minutes during a total lunar eclipse.In this composited timelapse view,the partial and total phasesof the eclipse were captured as the Moon tracked above the horizonfrom Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.There it shared a cold and starry south polar night with asurging display of the aurora australisand central Milky Way.In the foreground are the BICEP (right) andSouth Pole telescopes at the southernmost station's Dark Sector Laboratory.But while polar skies can be spectacular,you won't want togo to the South Poleto view the total lunar eclipsecoming up on November 8.Instead, that eclipse can be seen fromlocations in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, the Americas and Northern Europe.It will be your last chance to watch atotal lunar eclipse until 2025. Tomorrow's picture: inverted Sun day <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| >...

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 November 6 Dark Ball in Inverted Starfield Image Credit: Jim Lafferty Explanation: Does this strange dark ball look somehow familiar?If so, that might be because it is our Sun.In the featured image from 2012, a detailed solar view was captured originally in a very specific color of red light, then rendered in black and white, and then color inverted.Once complete, the resulting image was added to a starfield, then also color inverted.Visible in the image of the Sun are long light filaments, dark active regions, prominences peeking around the edge, and a moving carpet of hot gas.The surface of our Sun can be a busy place, in particular during Solar Maximum, the time when its surface magnetic field is wound up the most.Besides an active Sun being so picturesque, the plasma expelled can also become picturesque when it impacts the Earth's magnetosphere and creates auroras. Compute it Yourself: Browse 2,900+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library Tomorrow's picture: nebular mystery <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About...

APOD: 2022 November 4 - InSight's Final Selfie 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 November 4 InSight's Final Selfie Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Mars InSight Explanation: The Mars InSight lander returned itsfirst image fromthe Red Planet's flat, equatorialElysium Planitiaafter a successful touchdown on November 26, 2018.The history making mission to explore the martianInterior using Seismic investigations, geodesy, and heat transporthas been operating for over 1,400 martian days or sols.In that time the InSight mission has detected more than 1,300 marsquakes and recorded data fromMars-shaking meteoroidimpacts, observing how the seismic waves travel to provide aglimpse inside Mars.Analyzing the archive of data collected is expectedto yield discoveriesfor decades.But InSight's final operational sol is likely not far off.The reason is evidentin thisselfierecorded earlier this year showingits deck and large, 2-meter-wide solar panels covered with dust.Kicked up by martian winds the dust continues to accumulate anddrastically reduce the powerthat can be generated by InSight's solar panels. 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...

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 November 5 Lunar Eclipse at the South Pole Image Credit &Copyright: Aman Chokshi Explanation: Last May 16 the Moonslid through Earth's shadow, completely immersed in the planet'sdark umbrafor about 1 hour and 25 minutes during a total lunar eclipse.In this composited timelapse view,the partial and total phasesof the eclipse were captured as the Moon tracked above the horizonfrom Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.There it shared a cold and starry south polar night with asurging display of the aurora australisand central Milky Way.In the foreground are the BICEP (right) andSouth Pole telescopes at the southernmost station's Dark Sector Laboratory.But while polar skies can be spectacular,you won't want togo to the South Poleto view the total lunar eclipsecoming up on November 8.Instead, that eclipse can be seen fromlocations in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, the Americas and Northern Europe.It will be your last chance to watch atotal lunar eclipse until 2025. Tomorrow's picture: inverted Sun day <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry...

APOD: 2022 November 3 - M33: The Triangulum 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 November 3 M33: The Triangulum Galaxy Image Credit &Copyright: Processing -Robert GendlerData -Hubble Legacy Archive,KPNO,NOIRLab,NSF,Aura,Amateur Sources Explanation: The small, northern constellationTriangulumharbors this magnificent face-on spiral galaxy, M33.Its popular names include the Pinwheel Galaxy or justthe Triangulum Galaxy.M33 is over 50,000 light-years in diameter, third largest in theLocalGroup of galaxies after the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), and ourown Milky Way.About3 million light-years from the Milky Way,M33 is itself thought to be a satellite of theAndromeda Galaxy andastronomersin these two galaxies would likely have spectacular views ofeach other's grand spiral star systems.As for the view from the Milky Way,thissharp image combines data from telescopes on and around planetEarth to show off M33's blue star clustersand pinkish star forming regions alongthe galaxy's loosely wound spiral arms.In fact, thecavernous NGC 604is thebrightest star forming region, seen here at about the 1 o'clock positionfrom the galaxy center.Like M31, M33's population of well-measured variable starshave helped make this nearby spiral a cosmic yardstick forestablishingthe distancescale of the Universe. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space <|...

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 November 4 InSight's Final Selfie Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Mars InSight Explanation: The Mars InSight lander returned itsfirst image fromthe Red Planet's flat, equatorialElysium Planitiaafter a successful touchdown on November 26, 2018.The history making mission to explore the martianInterior using Seismic investigations, geodesy, and heat transporthas been operating for over 1,400 martian days or sols.In that time the InSight mission has detected more than 1,300 marsquakes and recorded data fromMars-shaking meteoroidimpacts, observing how the seismic waves travel to provide aglimpse inside Mars.Analyzing the archive of data collected is expectedto yield discoveriesfor decades.But InSight's final operational sol is likely not far off.The reason is evidentin thisselfierecorded earlier this year showingits deck and large, 2-meter-wide solar panels covered with dust.Kicked up by martian winds the dust continues to accumulate anddrastically reduce the powerthat can be generated by InSight's solar panels. 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...

APOD: 2022 November 2 - A Partial Eclipse of an Active Sun 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. A Partial Eclipse of an Active Sun Video Credit: Ralf Burkart; h/t Maciej Libert (AG) Explanation: Watch for three things in this unusual eclipse video. First, watch for a big dark circle to approach from the right to block out more and more of the Sun.This dark circle is the Moon, and the video was made primarily to capture this partial solar eclipse last week.Next, watch a large solar prominence hover and shimmer over the Sun's edge.A close look will show that part of it is actually falling back to the Sun.The prominence is made of hot plasma that is temporarily held aloft by the Sun's changing magnetic field.Finally, watch the Sun's edge waver.What is wavering is a dynamic carpet of hot gas tubes rising and falling through the Sun's chromosphere -- tubes known as spicules.The entire 4-second time-lapse video covers a time of about ten minutes, although the Sun itself is expected to last another 5 billion years. Partial Solar Eclipse in October 2022:...

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 November 3 M33: The Triangulum Galaxy Image Credit &Copyright: Processing -Robert GendlerData -Hubble Legacy Archive,KPNO,NOIRLab,NSF,Aura,Amateur Sources Explanation: The small, northern constellationTriangulumharbors this magnificent face-on spiral galaxy, M33.Its popular names include the Pinwheel Galaxy or justthe Triangulum Galaxy.M33 is over 50,000 light-years in diameter, third largest in theLocalGroup of galaxies after the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), and ourown Milky Way.About3 million light-years from the Milky Way,M33 is itself thought to be a satellite of theAndromeda Galaxy andastronomersin these two galaxies would likely have spectacular views ofeach other's grand spiral star systems.As for the view from the Milky Way,thissharp image combines data from telescopes on and around planetEarth to show off M33's blue star clustersand pinkish star forming regions alongthe galaxy's loosely wound spiral arms.In fact, thecavernous NGC 604is thebrightest star forming region, seen here at about the 1 o'clock positionfrom the galaxy center.Like M31, M33's population of well-measured variable starshave helped make this nearby spiral a cosmic yardstick forestablishingthe distancescale of the Universe. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space <| Archive| Submissions | Index|...

APOD: 2022 November 1 - NGC 6357: The Lobster 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 November 1 NGC 6357: The Lobster Nebula Image Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA;Processing: T. A. Rector (U. Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), J. Miller (Gemini Obs./NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab) Explanation: Why is the Lobster Nebula forming some of the most massive stars known?No one is yet sure. Cataloged as NGC 6357, the Lobster Nebula houses the open star cluster Pismis 24 near its center -- a home to unusually bright and massive stars. The overall red glow near the inner star forming region results from the emission of ionized hydrogen gas. The surrounding nebula, featured here, holds a complex tapestry of gas, dark dust, stars still forming, and newly born stars. The intricate patterns are caused by complex interactions between interstellar winds, radiation pressures, magnetic fields, and gravity. The image was taken with DOE's Dark Energy Camera on the 4-meter Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.NGC 6357 spans about 400 light years and lies about 8,000 light years away toward 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. A Partial Eclipse of an Active Sun Video Credit: Ralf Burkart; h/t Maciej Libert (AG) Explanation: Watch for three things in this unusual eclipse video. First, watch for a big dark circle to approach from the right to block out more and more of the Sun.This dark circle is the Moon, and the video was made primarily to capture this partial solar eclipse last week.Next, watch a large solar prominence hover and shimmer over the Sun's edge.A close look will show that part of it is actually falling back to the Sun.The prominence is made of hot plasma that is temporarily held aloft by the Sun's changing magnetic field.Finally, watch the Sun's edge waver.What is wavering is a dynamic carpet of hot gas tubes rising and falling through the Sun's chromosphere -- tubes known as spicules.The entire 4-second time-lapse video covers a time of about ten minutes, although the Sun itself is expected to last another 5 billion years. Partial Solar Eclipse in October 2022: Notable Submissions to APOD Tomorrow's picture: open...

APOD: 2022 October 31 - LDN 43: The Cosmic Bat 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 October 31 LDN 43: The Cosmic Bat Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Mark Hanson and Mike Selby;Text: Michelle Thaller (NASA's GSFC) Explanation: What is the most spook-tacular nebula in the galaxy? One contender is LDN 43, which bears an astonishing resemblance to a vast cosmic bat flying amongst the stars on a dark Halloween night. Located about 1400 light years away in the constellation Ophiuchus, this molecular cloud is dense enough to block light not only from background stars, but from wisps of gas lit up by the nearby reflection nebula LBN 7. Far from being a harbinger of death, this 12-light year-long filament of gas and dust is actually a stellar nursery. Glowing with eerie light, the bat is lit up from inside by dense gaseous knots that have just formed young stars. Celebrate: Halloween With NASA Online Tomorrow's picture: massive stars <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official:...