Media Information

 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection
Title:
Canaries Sky
Explanation:
This gorgeous view of [ http://www.mclink.i…] stars, nebulae, and the Milky Way comes from the dark night sky [ http://www.mclink.i…] above the lovely island of La Palma in the Canaries archipelago [ http://www.ing.iac.…]. The picture was made by a group of experienced astrophotographers who traveled there to take advantage of the ideal observing conditions [ http://www.ing.iac.…] near La Palma's Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos [ http://www.ing.iac.…]. Skygazers can easily pick out several of their favorite astronomical objects [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] in this wide angle time exposure which covers about 40 degrees on winter the sky. Faint stars along the plane of our Galaxy compose the delicate, luminous band of the Milky Way [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] stretching across the image from the bottom left. The familiar constellation [ http://www.adler.uc…] of Orion [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] the hunter is also easy to find, with glowing nebulae [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] highlighting [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] the hunter's belt and sword. Orion's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] famous red giant star Betelgeuse [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], near picture center, has a yellowish cast and Rigel is [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] the bright star in Orion at lower right. Brilliant white Sirius [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], near the bottom, is the brightest star in the picture (and in Earth's night sky). Sirius, is part of the constellation Canis Major [ http://www.astro.wi…constellations/Canis _Major.html ] (Big Dog). Across the Milky Way, above and to the left of Sirius, is slightly less brilliant Procyon, brightest star of Canis Minor [ http://www.astro.wi…constellations/Canis _Minor.html ]. A V-shaped group [ http://www.adler.uc…] of yellowish stars at the upper right, part of Taurus the bull [ http://www.astro.wi…constellations/Tauru s.html ], is dominated by the red giant Aldebaran [ http://www.bo.astro…].
Credit and Copyright:
A. Vannini [ mailto:a.vannini@mcl ink.it ], G. Li Causi [ mailto:mc4452@mclink .it ], A. Ricciardi [ mailto:mc7624@mclink .it ], A. Garatti [ mailto:a.vannini@mcl ink.it ]
keyword:
milky way
keyword:
constellations
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_what:
Earth
facet_what:
Orion
facet_what:
Taurus
facet_what:
SIRIUS
facet_what:
BETELGEUSE
facet_what:
ALDEBARAN
facet_what:
RIGEL
facet_what:
Canis Major
facet_what:
PROCYON
facet_what:
Canis Minor
original url:
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap980305

Canaries Sky