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 October 22 NGC 1499: The California Nebula Image Credit &Copyright: Stephen Kennedy Explanation: Drifting through the Orion Arm of the spiral Milky Way Galaxy,this cosmic cloudby chance echoes the outline of California on the west coast of the United States.Our own Sun also lies within the Milky Way'sOrion Arm,only about 1,500 light-years from the CaliforniaNebula.Also known asNGC 1499, the classic emission nebula is around 100 light-years long.The California Nebula shines with the telltale reddish glowcharacteristic of hydrogen atoms recombining with long lostelectrons.The electrons have been stripped away,ionized by energetic starlight.Most likely providing the energetic starlightthat ionizes much of the nebular gas is the bright, hot starXi Perseijust to the right of the nebula. A popular target for astrophotographers, this deep imagereveals theglowing nebula, obscuring dust,and starsacross a 3 degree wide field of view.The California nebula lies toward the constellationPerseus, not far from the Pleiades. Tomorrow's picture: strange planet<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific...
APOD: 2022 October 20 - Pillars of Creation 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 20 Pillars of Creation Image Credit: Science -NASA,ESA,CSA,STScI,NIRCamProcessing - Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI) Explanation: A now famous picturefrom the Hubble Space Telescopefeatured these star forming columns of cold gas anddust light-years long inside M16, the Eagle Nebula, dubbed thePillars of Creation.ThisJames Webb Space Telescope NIRCam imageexpands Hubble's exploration of that region in greaterdetail and depthinside the iconic stellar nursery.Particularly stunning in Webb's near infrared view is the telltalereddish emission from knots of materialundergoing gravitational collapse to formstars withinthe natal clouds.The Eagle Nebula issome 6,500 light-years distant.The larger bright emission nebula is itself aneasy target for binoculars or small telescopes.M16 lies along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy in anebula rich part of the sky, toward thesplit constellation Serpens Cauda (the tail of the snake). Tomorrow's picture: andromeda in southern skies<| 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...
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 October 21 Andromeda in Southern Skies Image Credit &Copyright: Ian Griffin(Otago Museum) Explanation: Looking north fromsouthern New Zealand,the Andromeda Galaxy never gets more thanabout five degrees above the horizon.As spring comes to the southern hemisphere, in late SeptemberAndromeda is highest in the sky around midnight though.In a single 30 second exposure this telephoto image trackedthe stars to capture the closest large spiral galaxyfrom Mount John Observatory as itclimbed just over the rugged peaks of thesouth island's Southern Alps.In the foreground, stars are reflected in the still waters ofLake Alexandrina.Also known as M31,the Andromeda Galaxy is one of the brightest objects in theMessier catalog,usually visible to the unaided eye as a small, faint, fuzzy patch.But thisclear, dark skyand long exposure revealthe galaxy's greater extent in planet Earth's night, spanning nearly 6 full moons. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA ScienceActivation& Michigan...
APOD: 2022 October 19 - A Galaxy Beyond Stars, Gas, Dust 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 19 A Galaxy Beyond Stars, Gas, Dust Image Credit & Copyright: Howard Trottier;Text: Emily Rice Explanation: Do we dare believe our eyes? When we look at images of space, we often wonder whether they are "real", and just as often the best answer varies. In this case, the scene appears much as our eyes would see it, because itwas obtained using RGB (Red, Green, Blue) filters like the cone cells in our eyes, except collecting light for 19 hours, not a fraction of a second. The featured image was captured over six nights, using a 24-inch diameter telescope in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in California, USA.The bright spiral galaxy at the center (NGC 7497) looks like it is being grasped by an eerie tendril of a space ghost, and therein lies the trick.The galaxy is actually 59 million light years away, while the nebulosity is MBM 54, less than one thousand light years away, making it one of the nearest cool clouds of gas...
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 October 20 Pillars of Creation Image Credit: Science -NASA,ESA,CSA,STScI,NIRCamProcessing - Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI) Explanation: A now famous picturefrom the Hubble Space Telescopefeatured these star forming columns of cold gas anddust light-years long inside M16, the Eagle Nebula, dubbed thePillars of Creation.ThisJames Webb Space Telescope NIRCam imageexpands Hubble's exploration of that region in greaterdetail and depthinside the iconic stellar nursery.Particularly stunning in Webb's near infrared view is the telltalereddish emission from knots of materialundergoing gravitational collapse to formstars withinthe natal clouds.The Eagle Nebula issome 6,500 light-years distant.The larger bright emission nebula is itself aneasy target for binoculars or small telescopes.M16 lies along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy in anebula rich part of the sky, toward thesplit constellation Serpens Cauda (the tail of the snake). Tomorrow's picture: andromeda in southern skies<| 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...
APOD: 2022 October 14 - The Falcon and the Hunter's Moon Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 October 14 The Falcon and the Hunter's Moon Image Credit &Copyright: Michael Seeley Explanation: The Full Moon of October 9thwas the second Full Moon after thenorthern hemisphere autumnal equinox, traditionally called theHunter's Moon.According to lore, the name is a fitting one because thisFull Moon lights the night during a time for huntingin preparation for the coming winter months.In this snapshot, a nearly full Hunter's Moonwas captured just after sunset on October 8, rising in skies overFlorida's Space Coast.Rising from planet Eartha Falcon 9 rocket pierces the bright lunar diskfrom the photographer's vantage point.Ripples and fringes along the edge of the lunar disk appear assupersonicshock waves generated by therocket's passagechange the atmosphere's index of refraction. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD atNASA /GSFC,NASA ScienceActivation& Michigan Tech. U.
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 October 19 A Galaxy Beyond Stars, Gas, Dust Image Credit & Copyright: Howard Trottier;Text: Emily Rice Explanation: Do we dare believe our eyes? When we look at images of space, we often wonder whether they are "real", and just as often the best answer varies. In this case, the scene appears much as our eyes would see it, because itwas obtained using RGB (Red, Green, Blue) filters like the cone cells in our eyes, except collecting light for 19 hours, not a fraction of a second. The featured image was captured over six nights, using a 24-inch diameter telescope in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in California, USA.The bright spiral galaxy at the center (NGC 7497) looks like it is being grasped by an eerie tendril of a space ghost, and therein lies the trick.The galaxy is actually 59 million light years away, while the nebulosity is MBM 54, less than one thousand light years away, making it one of the nearest cool clouds of gas and dust -- galactic cirrus --...
APOD: 2022 October 18 - Milky Way Auroral Flower 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 18 Milky Way Auroral Flower Image Credit & Copyright: Göran Strand Explanation: Could the stem of our Milky Way bloom into an auroral flower?No, not really, even though it may appear that way in today’s featured all-sky image. On the left, the central plane of our home galaxy extends from the horizon past the middle of the sky.On the right, an auroral oval also extends from the sky's center -- but is dominated by bright green-glowing oxygen.The two are not physically connected, because the aurora is relatively nearby, with the higher red parts occurring in Earth's atmosphere only about 1000 kilometers high.In contrast, an average distance to the stars and nebulas we see in the Milky Way more like 1000 light-years away - 10 trillion times further. The featured image composite was taken in early October across a small lake in Abisko, northern Sweden.As our Sun's magnetic field evolves into the active part of its 11-year cycle, auroras near both of Earth's poles are sure to...
APOD: 2022 October 17 - X-Ray Rings Around a Gamma Ray Burst 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 17 X-Ray Rings Around a Gamma Ray Burst Image Credit: NASA Swift Obs.;Data: B. Cenko (NASA's GSFC), A. Beardmore (U. Leicester) et al.;Processing: J. Miller (U. Michigan) Explanation: Why would x-ray rings appear around a gamma-ray burst? The surprising answer has little to do with the explosion itself but rather with light reflected off areas of dust-laden gas in our own Milky Way Galaxy. GRB 221009Awas a tremendous explosion -- a very bright gamma-ray burst (GRB) that occurred far across the universe with radiation just arriving in our Solar System last week. Since GRBs can also emit copious amounts of x-rays,a bright flash of x-rays arrived nearly simultaneously with the gamma-radiation.In this case, the X-rays also bounced off regions high in dust right here in our Milky Way Galaxy,creating the unusual reflections.The greater the angle between reflecting Milky Way dust and the GRB, the greater the radius of the X-ray rings, and, typically, the longer it takes for these light-echoes to arrive. Tomorrow's...
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 October 18 Milky Way Auroral Flower Image Credit & Copyright: Göran Strand Explanation: Could the stem of our Milky Way bloom into an auroral flower?No, not really, even though it may appear that way in today’s featured all-sky image. On the left, the central plane of our home galaxy extends from the horizon past the middle of the sky.On the right, an auroral oval also extends from the sky's center -- but is dominated by bright green-glowing oxygen.The two are not physically connected, because the aurora is relatively nearby, with the higher red parts occurring in Earth's atmosphere only about 1000 kilometers high.In contrast, an average distance to the stars and nebulas we see in the Milky Way more like 1000 light-years away - 10 trillion times further. The featured image composite was taken in early October across a small lake in Abisko, northern Sweden.As our Sun's magnetic field evolves into the active part of its 11-year cycle, auroras near both of Earth's poles are sure to become more frequent. Tomorrow's...
APOD: 2022 October 17 - X Ray Rings Around a Gamma Ray Burst 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 17 X-Ray Rings Around a Gamma Ray Burst Image Credit: NASA Swift Obs.;Data: B. Cenko (NASA's GSFC), A. Beardmore (U. Leicester) et al.;Processing: J. Miller (U. Michigan) Explanation: Why would x-ray rings appear around a gamma-ray burst? The surprising answer has little to do with the explosion itself but rather with light reflected off areas of dust-laden gas in our own Milky Way Galaxy. GRB 221009Awas a tremendous explosion -- a very bright gamma-ray burst (GRB) that occurred far across the universe with radiation just arriving in our Solar System last week. Since GRBs can also emit copious amounts of x-rays,a bright flash of x-rays arrived nearly simultaneously with the gamma-radiation.In this case, the X-rays also bounced off regions high in dust right here in our Milky Way Galaxy,creating the unusual reflections.The greater the angle between reflecting Milky Way dust and the GRB, the greater the radius of the X-ray rings, and, typically, the longer it takes for these light-echoes to arrive....
APOD: 2022 October 16 - Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1300 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 16 Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1300 Image Credit: NASAESA,Hubble Heritage Explanation: Across the center of this spiral galaxy is a bar. And at the center of this bar is smaller spiral. And at the center of that spiral is a supermassive black hole. This all happens in the big, beautiful, barred spiral galaxy cataloged as NGC 1300, a galaxy that lies some 70 million light-years away toward the constellation of the river Eridanus.This Hubble Space Telescope composite view of the gorgeous island universe is one of the most detailed Hubble images ever made of a complete galaxy. NGC 1300 spans over 100,000 light-years and the Hubble image reveals striking details of the galaxy's dominant central bar and majestic spiral arms.How the giant bar formed, how it remains, and how it affects star formation remains an active topic of research. Tomorrow's picture: burst rings <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > 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. 2022 October 17 X-Ray Rings Around a Gamma Ray Burst Image Credit: NASA Swift Obs.;Data: B. Cenko (NASA's GSFC), A. Beardmore (U. Leicester) et al.;Processing: J. Miller (U. Michigan) Explanation: Why would x-ray rings appear around a gamma-ray burst? The surprising answer has little to do with the explosion itself but rather with light reflected off areas of dust-laden gas in our own Milky Way Galaxy. GRB 221009Awas a tremendous explosion -- a very bright gamma-ray burst (GRB) that occurred far across the universe with radiation just arriving in our Solar System last week. Since GRBs can also emit copious amounts of x-rays,a bright flash of x-rays arrived nearly simultaneously with the gamma-radiation.In this case, the X-rays also bounced off regions high in dust right here in our Milky Way Galaxy,creating the unusual reflections.The greater the angle between reflecting Milky Way dust and the GRB, the greater the radius of the X-ray rings, and, typically, the longer it takes for these light-echoes to arrive. Tomorrow's picture: a flowering aurora <| Archive| Submissions...
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 October 16 Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1300 Image Credit: NASAESA,Hubble Heritage Explanation: Across the center of this spiral galaxy is a bar. And at the center of this bar is smaller spiral. And at the center of that spiral is a supermassive black hole. This all happens in the big, beautiful, barred spiral galaxy cataloged as NGC 1300, a galaxy that lies some 70 million light-years away toward the constellation of the river Eridanus.This Hubble Space Telescope composite view of the gorgeous island universe is one of the most detailed Hubble images ever made of a complete galaxy. NGC 1300 spans over 100,000 light-years and the Hubble image reveals striking details of the galaxy's dominant central bar and majestic spiral arms.How the giant bar formed, how it remains, and how it affects star formation remains an active topic of research. Tomorrow's picture: burst rings <| 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 October 15 - GRB 221009A 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 15 GRB 221009A Image Credit: NASA,DOE,Fermi LAT Collaboration Explanation: Gamma-ray burst GRB 221009Alikely signals the birth of a new black hole,formed at the core of a collapsing starlong ago in the distant universe.The extremely powerful blast is depicted in this animated gif constructedusing data from theFermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope.Fermi captured the data at gamma-ray energies, detectingphotons with over 100 million electron volts.In comparison visible light photons have energies ofabout 2 electron volts.A steady,high energy gamma-ray glow from the planeof our Milky Way galaxy runsdiagonally through the20 degree wide frame at the left,while the transient gamma-ray flash from GRB 221009A appearsat center and then fades.One of the brightest gamma-ray bursts ever detectedGRB 221009A is also close as far as gamma-ray bursts go,but still lies about 2 billion light-years away.In low Earth orbitFermi’s Large Area Telescope recorded gamma-ray photons from the burstfor more than 10 hours as high-energy radiation from GRB 221009Aswept over planet Earthlast Sunday, October 9. Tomorrow's picture: barred spiral<| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS|...