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Icy Dawn of a Newborn Star
| Title |
Icy Dawn of a Newborn Star |
| Description |
In this animation, we observe what a young star with a circumstellar disc would look like when viewed from different angles. In the first view, the system is tilted in such a way that we look almost straight down on the star. From this angle, light from the star swamps the fainter disc, denying us any information about the dust and gas in its inner, planet-forming region. As our line of sight switches to view the disc edge-on, the star is completely blocked by the dust in the outer region of the disc, which forms a dark band against the faint glow of light being scattered up through the cloud. As our angle changes again, however, our point of view shows us the star just peeking through the dusty disc, almost like the Sun rising above the horizon at dawn. This unique or particular angle allows astronomers to sample the chemistry of the inner region of the disc, as starlight is absorbed, but not completely obscured by the disc material. Having found a young star at just the right angle, astronomers have observed its light filtering through water and carbon dioxide ices in its inner disc, creating a lovely, icy "dawn" in a new planetary system. This animation is not an artist's concept but is rather a physical model of the young star and disc, seen in a J-, H- and K-band waveband composite (1.5, 2.0 and 2.7 microns). |
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Sunset on an Alien World
| Title |
Sunset on an Alien World |
| Description |
This artist's animation illustrates what the night sky might look like from a hypothetical alien planet in a star system with an asteroid belt 25 times as massive as the one in our own solar system. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence for such a belt around the nearby star called HD 69830, when its infrared eyes spotted dust, presumably from asteroids banging together. The telescope did not find any evidence for a planet in the system, but astronomers speculate one or more may be present. The movie begins at dusk on the imaginary world, when HD 69830, like our Sun, has begun to set over the horizon. Time is sped up to show the onset of night and the appearance of a brilliant band of light. This light comes from dust in a massive asteroid belt, which scatters sunlight. In our solar system, anybody observing the skies on a moonless night far from city lights can see this light. Called zodiacal light and sometimes the "false dawn," it appears as a faint band stretching up from the horizon when the Sun is about to rise or set. The zodiacal light in the HD 69830 system would be 1,000 times brighter than our own, outshining even the disk of our Milky Way galaxy (shown perpendicular to the asteroid-belt light). |
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Alien Asteroid Belt Compared
…
| Title |
Alien Asteroid Belt Compared to our Own |
| Description |
This artist's concept illustrates what the night sky might look like from a hypothetical alien planet in a star system with an asteroid belt 25 times as massive as the one in our own solar system (alien system above, ours below). NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence for such a belt around the nearby star called HD 69830, when its infrared eyes spotted dust, presumably from asteroids banging together. The telescope did not find any evidence for a planet in the system, but astronomers speculate one or more may be present. In our solar system, anybody observing the skies on a moonless night far from city lights can see the sunlight that is scattered by dust in our asteroid belt. Called zodiacal light and sometimes the "false dawn," this light appears as a dim band stretching up from the horizon when the Sun is about to rise or set. The light is faint enough that the disk of our Milky Way galaxy remains the most prominent feature in the sky. (The Milky Way disk is shown perpendicular to the zodiacal light in both pictures.) In contrast, the zodiacal light in the HD 69830 system would be 1,000 times brighter than our own, outshining even the Milky Way. |
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Alien Asteroid Belt Compared
…
| Title |
Alien Asteroid Belt Compared to our Own |
| Description |
This artist's concept illustrates what the night sky might look like from a hypothetical alien planet in a star system with an asteroid belt 25 times as massive as the one in our own solar system (alien system above, ours below). NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence for such a belt around the nearby star called HD 69830, when its infrared eyes spotted dust, presumably from asteroids banging together. The telescope did not find any evidence for a planet in the system, but astronomers speculate one or more may be present. In our solar system, anybody observing the skies on a moonless night far from city lights can see the sunlight that is scattered by dust in our asteroid belt. Called zodiacal light and sometimes the "false dawn," this light appears as a dim band stretching up from the horizon when the Sun is about to rise or set. The light is faint enough that the disk of our Milky Way galaxy remains the most prominent feature in the sky. (The Milky Way disk is shown perpendicular to the zodiacal light in both pictures.) In contrast, the zodiacal light in the HD 69830 system would be 1,000 times brighter than our own, outshining even the Milky Way. |
|
Alien Asteroid Belt Compared
…
| Title |
Alien Asteroid Belt Compared to our Own |
| Description |
This artist's concept illustrates what the night sky might look like from a hypothetical alien planet in a star system with an asteroid belt 25 times as massive as the one in our own solar system (alien system above, ours below). NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence for such a belt around the nearby star called HD 69830, when its infrared eyes spotted dust, presumably from asteroids banging together. The telescope did not find any evidence for a planet in the system, but astronomers speculate one or more may be present. In our solar system, anybody observing the skies on a moonless night far from city lights can see the sunlight that is scattered by dust in our asteroid belt. Called zodiacal light and sometimes the "false dawn," this light appears as a dim band stretching up from the horizon when the Sun is about to rise or set. The light is faint enough that the disk of our Milky Way galaxy remains the most prominent feature in the sky. (The Milky Way disk is shown perpendicular to the zodiacal light in both pictures.) In contrast, the zodiacal light in the HD 69830 system would be 1,000 times brighter than our own, outshining even the Milky Way. |
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Neutral Gas Cloud Around Tit
…
| Description |
Here on the Gallery page you can find the very latest images, videos and products from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, including the spectacular launch, spacecraft assembly and the exciting trip to Saturn. |
| Full Description |
Images from the magnetospheric imaging instrument and the ion and neutral camera onboard the Cassini spacecraft reveal aspects of the interactions between Saturn's dynamic population of hot energetic ions and the clouds of cold neutral atoms. Future observations may further explain the relationships between these interactions. The most recent image of Titan reveals the emission of high-speed neutral atoms from a globular region approximately 70,000 kilometers (43,496 miles) in diameter, clearly centered on Titan. It is only 1/25 as bright as the region seen toward dawn during Saturn orbit insertion, even though Cassini is now closer to Titan. There is an extended emission region around the Titan cloud, but it is much dimmer than the Titan cloud itself and even dimmer compared to the emission seen in the dawn direction at orbit insertion. In this image, the X marks the direction toward the Sun, the Y marks the direction toward Saturn's dawn, and the Z marks Saturn's rotation axis. The dot in the center marks Titan. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The magnetospheric imaging instrument team is based at Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Md. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the instrument team's home page, http://sd-www.jhuapl.edu/CASSINI/index.html . Image Credit: NASA/JPL/JHU/APL/Max-Plank-Institut f¿r Aeronomie/University of Maryland/University of Kansas/University of Arizona/CESR/Bell Laboratories |
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August 2006: View of the Pla
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| Description |
August 2006: View of the Planets |
| Full Description |
Just before the eastern sky brightens with sunrise, three planets and the waning crescent moon join the starry twilight tapestry. Then, as the bright stars of Gemini and Orion fade with oncoming dawn, the planets rise and shine. About 45 minutes before sunrise on Aug. 20 to 22 the planets Venus, Mercury and Saturn dance on the ecliptic -- the plane of Earth's orbit and the imaginary line tracing it in the sky. The sun, moon and planets appear to move along this line. Venus, rising an hour and a half before sunrise, is the easiest to see in the morning sky. Two hundred forty-one million kilometers (150 million miles) distant, Venus is Earth-sized. Mercury, at a distance of 183 million kilometers (114 million miles), is the fastest and smallest of the inner planets and appears brighter than the more distant Saturn. Saturn, 1,517 million kilometers (943 million miles) distant, was at conjunction with the sun just two weeks ago and now rises nearly an hour before sunrise. On Aug. 26 and 27, Saturn pairs with much brighter Venus at dawn. What other planets can we see in late August? Mars sets 45 minutes after sunset by month's end but is lost from view in the twilight, while brilliant Jupiter remains prominent as the only planet visible for a few hours during the late August evenings. Credit: NASA/JPL |
| Date |
August 18, 2006 |
|
Clouds at Dawn
| Description |
Clouds at Dawn |
| Full Description |
Saturn's clouds billow and swirl in the turbulent zones of shear between eastward- and westward-flowing jets. This view looks toward the terminator on Saturn, where night gives way to day. The image was taken using a spectral filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light centered at 728 nanometers. The image was obtained with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Aug. 16, 2006 at a distance of approximately 338,000 kilometers (210,000 miles) from Saturn and at a Sun-Saturn-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 67 degrees. Image scale is 17 kilometers (10 miles) per pixel. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
September 20, 2006 |
|
Dawn for Odysseus
| Description |
Dawn for Odysseus |
| Full Description |
The eastern rim of the large crater Odysseus is visible along the terminator in this image of Saturn's moon Tethys. This enormous impact feature is the largest on Tethys, at approximately 450 kilometers (280 miles) across. The shadowy rim of another smaller crater can be seen at the bottom. Tethys is 1,060 kilometers (659 miles) across. This Cassini view shows principally the leading hemisphere of Tethys. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera on Dec. 18, 2004, at a distance of 1.7 million kilometers (1.1 million miles) from Tethys and at a Sun-Tethys-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 94 degrees. The image scale is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) per pixel. The image has been magnified by a factor of two and contrast enhanced to aid visibility. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . For images visit the Cassini imaging team home page http://ciclops.org *Credit*: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
January 26, 2005 |
|
Phoebe Temperature Maps
| Description |
Phoebe Temperature Maps |
| Full Description |
A montage of maps of Saturn's moon Phoebe shows surface temperatures at various times of day as determined by the composite infrared spectrometer onboard Cassini during the June 11, 2004, Phoebe flyby. The asterisk on each map shows the location of the subsolar point, where the Sun is directly overhead. This point moves across the surface as Phoebe rotates. It is morning in regions to the left of the subsolar point, and afternoon in regions to the right. Like a newspaper weather map, different colors indicate different temperatures, though Phoebe's temperatures are distinctly cooler than even the coldest January day on Earth. Equatorial temperatures peak in the early afternoon near 112 Kelvin (-257 Fahrenheit), plunging to 78 Kelvin (-319 Fahrenheit) before dawn, and are even colder at higher latitudes. The large day/night temperature contrasts imply that Phoebe's surface is covered in loose dust or ice particles that store little heat and thus cool off rapidly at night. Regions of Phoebe's surface that were not observed are shown in black. Most of the maps show the effect on surface temperatures of the large crater-like depression seen in Cassini's visible-wavelength images of Phoebe, which is located just left of center in these maps. Crater walls that are shadowed and cold in the early morning in the first map are sunlit and warm in the late afternoon in the final map. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The composite infrared spectrometer team is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the Cassini composite infrared spectrometer home page at http://cirs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ . Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Dawn at the Huygens Site
| Description |
Titan's equatorial latitudes are distinctly different in character from its south polar region, as this image shows. |
| Full Description |
Titan's equatorial latitudes are distinctly different in character from its south polar region, as this image shows. The dark terrain, presumably lowland, seen here does not extend much farther south than about 30 degrees South. The successful Huygens probe landed in such a region. The Huygens probe is rotating into the light here, seeing the dawn of a new day. The bright region toward the right side of Titan's disk is Xanadu. This area is thought to consist of upland terrain that is relatively uncontaminated by the dark material that fills the lowland regions. Near the moon's south pole, and just eastward of the terminator, is the dark feature identified by imaging scientists as the best candidate (so far) for a past or present hydrocarbon lake on Titan (see Clouds in the Distance). Farther east of the lake-like feature, bright clouds arc around the pole. These clouds occupy a latitude range that is consistent with previously-seen convective cloud activity on Titan. Titan is Saturn's largest moon, at 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles) across. The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera on July 7, 2005, at a distance of approximately 1.3 million kilometers (800,000 miles) from Titan and at a Sun-Titan-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 60 degrees. The image was obtained using a filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light centered at 938 nanometers. The image scale is 7 kilometers (5 miles) per pixel. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
August 16, 2005 |
|
Hubble Provides the First Im
…
| Title |
Hubble Provides the First Images of Saturn's Aurorae |
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Hubble Surveys Dying Stars i
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| Title |
Hubble Surveys Dying Stars in Nearby Galaxy |
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Hubble Images of Asteroids H
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| Title |
Hubble Images of Asteroids Help Astronomers Prepare for Spacecraft Visit |
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Hubble Images of Asteroids H
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| Title |
Hubble Images of Asteroids Help Astronomers Prepare for Spacecraft Visit |
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Hubble Images of Asteroids H
…
| Title |
Hubble Images of Asteroids Help Astronomers Prepare for Spacecraft Visit |
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Mercury transit of the Sun
| Title |
Mercury transit of the Sun |
| Completed |
2003-05-07 |
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Mercury transit of the Sun
| Title |
Mercury transit of the Sun |
| Completed |
2003-05-07 |
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Mercury transit of the Sun
| Title |
Mercury transit of the Sun |
| Completed |
2003-05-07 |
|
Mercury transit of the Sun
| Title |
Mercury transit of the Sun |
| Completed |
2003-05-07 |
|
Mercury transit of the Sun
| Title |
Mercury transit of the Sun |
| Completed |
2003-05-07 |
|
STS-71 Mission Insignia
| Name of Image |
STS-71 Mission Insignia |
| Date of Image |
1995-04-06 |
| Full Description |
The STS-71 crew patch design depicts the orbiter Atlantis in the process of the first international docking mission of the Space Shuttle Atlantis with the Russian Space Station Mir. The names of the 10 astronauts and cosmonauts who flew aboard the orbiter are shown along the outer border of the patch. The rising sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era of cooperation between the two countries. The vehicles Atlantis and Mir are shown in separate circles converging at the center of the emblem symbolizing the merger of the space programs of the two space faring nations. The flags of the United States and Russia emphasize the equal partnership of the mission. The joint program symbol at the lower center of the patch acknowledges the extensive contributions made by the Mission Control Centers (MCC) of both countries. The crew insignia was designed by aviation and space artist, Bob McCall, who also designed the crew patch for the Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) in 1975, the first international space docking mission. |
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Mount St. Helens
| Title |
Mount St. Helens |
| Description |
Hot lava had broken through the surface of the growing lava dome on Mount St. Helens when the MASTER sensor took this image in the early morning hours of October 13, 2004. MASTER, which stands for MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator, is an aircraft- mounted remote sensing device built to simulate the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] (ASTER) instruments on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The top image was made from MASTER's thermal sensitive bands, and shows the heat in the volcano's crater. A brilliant white spot on the southwest side of the crater is hot lava bubbling to the surface. Smaller, less intense hot spots around the crater have formed where magma near the surface has heated the rock above it. The dark area around the lava dome is the crater. Shielded from the sun and covered with snow, the dark crater floor is cooler than the surrounding landscape, which appears red. A plume of steam rising from the lava dome (colored purple) drifts southeast in this image. The plume and crater floor are more visible in the lower, true color image. Acquired just after dawn, the image has few shadows and low contrast. An image composed of thermal infrared and visible light wavelengths reveals more details around the mountain. The volcanic plume is bright cyan, the cool crater is purple, and snow is light blue. To the north of the volcano, two bright red lines extend from south to north. These are warm-water streams, possibly heated by the active volcano. NASA images courtesy Jeff Myers, MASTER [ http://masterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] instrument team, NASA Ames Research Center |
|
Mount St. Helens
| Title |
Mount St. Helens |
| Description |
Hot lava had broken through the surface of the growing lava dome on Mount St. Helens when the MASTER sensor took this image in the early morning hours of October 13, 2004. MASTER, which stands for MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator, is an aircraft- mounted remote sensing device built to simulate the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] (ASTER) instruments on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The top image was made from MASTER's thermal sensitive bands, and shows the heat in the volcano's crater. A brilliant white spot on the southwest side of the crater is hot lava bubbling to the surface. Smaller, less intense hot spots around the crater have formed where magma near the surface has heated the rock above it. The dark area around the lava dome is the crater. Shielded from the sun and covered with snow, the dark crater floor is cooler than the surrounding landscape, which appears red. A plume of steam rising from the lava dome (colored purple) drifts southeast in this image. The plume and crater floor are more visible in the lower, true color image. Acquired just after dawn, the image has few shadows and low contrast. An image composed of thermal infrared and visible light wavelengths reveals more details around the mountain. The volcanic plume is bright cyan, the cool crater is purple, and snow is light blue. To the north of the volcano, two bright red lines extend from south to north. These are warm-water streams, possibly heated by the active volcano. NASA images courtesy Jeff Myers, MASTER [ http://masterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] instrument team, NASA Ames Research Center |
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Total solar eclipse over Ant
…
| Title |
Total solar eclipse over Antarctica |
| Description |
The moon cast a long shadow over Antarctica on November 23, 2003, in a total solar eclipse. The sun typically hangs low on the horizon during the southernmost continent's almost-summer months, so when the Moon moved between the Sun and the Earth, its shadow fell in a roughly 500-kilometer long oval like the long shadows of a early summer dawn. At the time this image was taken, the sun was at approximately 15 degrees above the horizon. The shadow's long circular shape is the same pattern a flashlight casts an the floor when held at a similar angle. The moon's shadow has two parts: the fuzzy outer shadow, the penumbra, and the dark inner shadow, the umbra. Within the umbra, the sun is completely blocked. A person standing on the ground sees a glowing black disk in front of the sun?the disk is the moon, and the glow is the sun's corona. In the penumbra, the ground observer sees the moon covering part of the sun. Both the penumbra and the umbra are visible in this true-color image. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of the eclipse between 23:15 and 23:20 UTC. The Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured a similar image [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2003327-1123/Antarctica.A2003327.2255 ] of the eclipse. The eclipse started at 22:08 UTC, and the shadow passed from the surface of the earth a little over an hour later at 23:20 UTC. The sun's light was completely blocked at 22:49 for one minute and 55 seconds. At the time this image was taken, the sun was just rising over Antarctica, tinting the mountains a delicate pink, even within the shadow of the eclipse. Beyond the dark upper left corner, the sun has not yet driven away night's darkness. The bluish tones of the snow reveal how Antarctica appears from space without atmospheric correction. The shadow covers Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, with its tip pointing towards Africa. The South Pole is just beyond the right corner of the image. The moon is not the only thing throwing shadows across the landscape in this image. On the top left, the Pensacola Mountains make long horizontal shadows on the ice. Patches of low cloud along the left side of the umbra are also leaving a dark smudge on the surface. This image is available in multiple resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2003327-1123/Antarctica2.A2003327.2320 ]. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Total solar eclipse over Ant
…
| Title |
Total solar eclipse over Antarctica |
| Description |
The moon cast a long shadow over Antarctica on November 23, 2003, in a total solar eclipse. The sun typically hangs low on the horizon during the southernmost continent's almost-summer months, so when the Moon moved between the Sun and the Earth, its shadow fell in a roughly 500-kilometer long oval like the long shadows of a early summer dawn. At the time this image was taken, the sun was at approximately 15 degrees above the horizon. The shadow's long circular shape is the same pattern a flashlight casts an the floor when held at a similar angle. The moon's shadow has two parts: the fuzzy outer shadow, the penumbra, and the dark inner shadow, the umbra. Within the umbra, the sun is completely blocked. A person standing on the ground sees a glowing black disk in front of the sun?the disk is the moon, and the glow is the sun's corona. In the penumbra, the ground observer sees the moon covering part of the sun. Both the penumbra and the umbra are visible in this true-color image. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of the eclipse between 23:15 and 23:20 UTC. The Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured a similar image [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2003327-1123/Antarctica.A2003327.2255 ] of the eclipse. The eclipse started at 22:08 UTC, and the shadow passed from the surface of the earth a little over an hour later at 23:20 UTC. The sun's light was completely blocked at 22:49 for one minute and 55 seconds. At the time this image was taken, the sun was just rising over Antarctica, tinting the mountains a delicate pink, even within the shadow of the eclipse. Beyond the dark upper left corner, the sun has not yet driven away night's darkness. The bluish tones of the snow reveal how Antarctica appears from space without atmospheric correction. The shadow covers Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, with its tip pointing towards Africa. The South Pole is just beyond the right corner of the image. The moon is not the only thing throwing shadows across the landscape in this image. On the top left, the Pensacola Mountains make long horizontal shadows on the ice. Patches of low cloud along the left side of the umbra are also leaving a dark smudge on the surface. This image is available in multiple resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2003327-1123/Antarctica2.A2003327.2320 ]. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Moon And Venus Share The Sky
| Title |
Moon And Venus Share The Sky |
| Explanation |
July is drawing to a close and in the past few days, some early morning risers [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990714.html ] could have looked east and seen a crescent Moon sharing the pre-dawn [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast25jul_1m.htm ] skies with planets Jupiter and Saturn. Planet Mercury will also pass about 2 degrees from the thin waning crescent Moon [ http://aa.usno.navy.mil/AA/faq/docs/moon_phases.html ] just before sunrise near the eastern horizon on Saturday, July 29. And finally, on the evening of July 31st, Venus will take its turn near the crescent Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991108.html ]. But this time it will be a day-old crescent Moon near the western horizon, shortly after sunset [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000507.html ]. In fact [ http://pages.prodigy.net/pam.orman/JoeAlmanac2000.html ], on July 31 (August 1 Universal Time) the Moon will occult [ http://www.skypub.com/sights/occultations/lunar/ 0001lunarocc.html ] (pass in front of) Venus for northwestern observers [ http://www.skypub.com/sights/images2000/ 0008moonvenus_big.jpg ] in North America. This telescopic picture taken on 31 December 1997, shows a lovely young crescent Moon and brilliant crescent Venus in [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990903.html ] the early evening sky near Bursa, Turkey [ http://www.mersina.com/Turkey/Marmara/Bursa/index.html ]. And what about the Sun? On Sunday, July 30, a partial eclipse of the Sun [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/extra/ PSE2000Jul31.html ] will be visible from some locations [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/ PSE2000Jul.gif ] in North America. |
|
Comet SWAN Brightens
| Title |
Comet SWAN Brightens |
| Explanation |
A newly discovered comet has brightened enough to be visible this week with binoculars. The picturesque comet [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050904.html ] is already becoming a favored target for northern sky imagers. Pictured above [ http://www.astrostudio.at/Astrofotos/astrofotos.php?k_id=69 ] just last week, Comet SWAN showed a bright blue-green coma and an impressive tail. Comet C/2006 M4 (SWAN) [ http://cometography.com/lcomets/2006m4.html ] was discovered in June in public images from the Solar Wind Anisotropies [ http://www.fmi.fi/research_space/space_7.html ] (SWAN) instrument of NASA and ESA [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESA ]'s Sun-orbiting SOHO [ http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/ ] spacecraft. Comet [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet ] SWAN, near magnitude six, will be visible with binoculars in the northeastern sky not far from the Big Dipper over the next few days before dawn. The comet [ http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2006M4/2006M4.html ] is expected to reach its peak brightness this week. Passing its closest to the Sun two days ago, Comet SWAN [ http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?ID=dK06M040;orb=1;cov=0#orb ] and will be at its closest to the Earth toward the end of this month. Comet SWAN's unusual orbit [ http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/ps/mpec/K06/K06S89.html ] appears to be hyperbolic [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992A&A...259..692K ], meaning that it will likely go off into interstellar space [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020210.html ], never to return. |
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3D Mercury Transit
| Title |
3D Mercury Transit |
| Explanation |
Mercury is now [ http://www.astronomy.com/ASY/CS/forums/314872/ ShowPost.aspx ] visible shortly before dawn, the brightest "star" just above the eastern horizon. But almost two weeks ago Mercury [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061114.html ] actually crossed the face of the Sun for the second time in the 21st century. Viewed with red/blue glasses [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/Help/VendorList.html ], this stereo anaglyph combines space-based images of the Sun and innermost planet in a just-for-fun 3D [ http://www.sungazer.net/3dtransit.html ] presentation of the Mercury transit [ http://www.transitofvenus.org/mercury.htm ]. The solar disk image is from Hinode [ http://solarb.msfc.nasa.gov/index.html ]. (sounds like "hee-no-day", means sunrise). A sun-staring observatory, Hinode was launched from Uchinoura Space Center and viewed the transit [ http://solar-b.nao.ac.jp/news_e/20061109_e.shtml ] from Earth orbit. Superimposed on Mercury's dark silhouette is a detailed image [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011124.html ] of the planet's rugged surface based on data from the Mariner 10 [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/1973-085A.html ] probe that flew by Mercury in 1974 and 1975. |
|
Three Planets in Dawn Skies
| Title |
Three Planets in Dawn Skies |
| Explanation |
Three children of the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061116.html ] rise in the east in this peaceful dawn skyview recorded December 7th near Bolu, Turkey. Inner planet Mercury [ http://kids.nineplanets.org/mercury.htm ], fresh from its second transit [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061114.html ] of the 21st century, stands highest in the bright sky at the top right. Gas giant Jupiter [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/ jupiterfact.html ] lies below the cloud bank near picture center. A newsworthy Mars [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/news/ mgs-20061206.html ] is also visible, right of Jupiter and just above the dark cloud bank. On Sunday, these planets will form a much tighter grouping [ http://skytonight.com/observing/ataglance ] before sunrise [ http://niteskys.com/mercury_mars_jupiter_120806.html ], while in the coming days the western sky after sunset will be ruled by brilliant planet Venus [ http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/ ], also known as the evening star. |
|
Comet McNaught Heads for the
…
| Title |
Comet McNaught Heads for the Sun |
| Explanation |
Early morning risers with a clear and unobstructed eastern horizon can enjoy the sight of Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) in dawn skies over the next few days. Discovered in August by R. H. McNaught (Siding Spring Survey [ http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~rmn/ ]) the comet has grown bright enough to see with the unaided eye but will soon be lost in the glare of the Sun. Still, by January 11 sun-staring spacecraft SOHO should be able to offer web-based views [ http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/c3/ 512/ ] as the comet heads toward [ http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_shm?name=c/2006+P1 ] a perihelion [ http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/ link=/physical_science/physics/mechanics/orbit/ perihelion_aphelion.html&edu=high ] passage inside the orbit of Mercury. This image captures [ http://www.astrostudio.at/Astrofotos/astrofotos.php?k_id=71 ] the new naked-eye comet [ http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/comet_worldbook.html ] at about 2nd magnitude [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_magnitude ] in twilight skies near sunset on January 3rd. After rounding the Sun [ http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/ ] and emerging from the solar glare later this month, Comet McNaught [ http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2006P1/2006P1.html ] could be even brighter. |
|
Jupiter, Vesta, and the Milk
…
| Title |
Jupiter, Vesta, and the Milky Way |
| Explanation |
In this gorgeous skyscape, gas giant Jupiter [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070329.html ] along with the stars and cosmic dust clouds of the Milky Way [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070330.html ] hang over the southern horizon in the early morning hours as seen from Stagecoach, Colorado, USA. Recorded on Thursday, Jupiter is the brightest object near picture center. Along with the stunning Milky Way, Jupiter is hard to miss, but a careful inspection of the view also reveals main belt [ http://www.solstation.com/stars/asteroid.htm ] asteroid Vesta [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060820.html ]. Of all the asteroids [ http://www.nineplanets.org/asteroids.html ] Vesta is the brightest and is now just bright enough to be visible to the naked eye from locations with very dark, clear skies. Vesta (as well as Jupiter) appears relatively bright now because it is near opposition, literally [ http://www.heavens-above.com/ gloss.asp?term=opposition ] opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky and closest to Earth in its orbit. For Vesta [ http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/feature_stories/ Vesta_chart_descrip.asp ], this opposition offers the best viewing in many years. The year 2007 also coincides [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1907Obs....30..103L ] with the 200th anniversary of the asteroid's discovery [ http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnCommunity/ flashbacks/fb_06.asp ]. Starting late next month, NASA plans to launch the Dawn mission [ http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.asp ] intended to explore Vesta (and Ceres) and the main asteroid belt. |
|
Venus' Evening Loop
| Title |
Venus' Evening Loop |
| Explanation |
From September 2000 through March 2001, astronomer Tunc Tezel patiently photographed the planet Venus on 25 different dates as it wandered [ http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~js/ast221/lectures/ lec06.html ] through the evening twilight. The pictures were taken from the same spot on the campus of the Middle East Technical University near Ankara, Turkey, and timed so that for each photo the Sun was [ http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html ] 7 degrees below the horizon. Carefully registering and combining the pictures, he produced this composite image -- a stunning demonstration of Venus' grand [ http://stoner.eps.mcgill.ca/~bud/craters/ FaceOfVenus.html ] looping sky motion [ http://sunra.colorado.edu/david/ch1.html ] during its recent stint as planet Earth's evening star [ http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/poems/ longfe10.html ]. As indicated, the first picture, taken September 28, 2000, finds Venus [ http://www.windows.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/tour_def/venus/ morning_star.html ] close to the western horizon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990619.html ] and drifting south (left) with the passing days. By December however, Venus [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planets/ venuspage.html ] was climbing well above the horizon after sunset and in January 2001 it reached its maximum apparent distance (elongation [ http://astrosun.tn.cornell.edu/courses/astro201/ planet_view.htm ]) from the Sun. March found Venus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010308.html ] falling from the evening sky while moving rapidly north, finally appearing (far right) as a faint dot against the sunset glow on March 24. This month, Venus rises before dawn as the brilliant morning star [ http://stardate.utexas.edu/resources/ faqs/049.html ]. |
|
Zodiacal Light and the False
…
| Title |
Zodiacal Light and the False Dawn |
| Explanation |
An unusual triangle of light will be particularly bright near the eastern horizon before sunrise during the next two months for observers in Earth's northern hemisphere. Once considered a false dawn [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiacal_light ], this triangle of light is actually Zodiacal Light [ http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek/zodiac.html ], light reflected from interplanetary dust particles [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010813.html ]. The triangle is clearly visible toward the left of the frame taken from the Paranal Observatory [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranal_Observatory ] in Chile [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile ] in July. Zodiacal dust [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ cosmic_reference/zodydust.html ] orbits the Sun [ http://www.nineplanets.org/sol.html ] predominantly in the same plane as the planets: the ecliptic [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001014.html ]. Zodiacal light [ http://www.as.wvu.edu/~jel/skywatch/skw9810h.html ] is so bright this time of year because the dust band [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000517.html ] is oriented nearly vertical at sunrise, so that the thick air near the horizon does not block out relatively bright reflecting dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970825.html ]. Zodiacal light [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020915.html ] is also bright for people in Earth's northern hemisphere in March and April just after sunset. APOD editor to review best space pictures in Philadelphia tomorrow (Wednesday) night [ http://www.rittenhouseastronomicalsociety.org/ ] |
|
Zodiacal Light and the False
…
| Title |
Zodiacal Light and the False Dawn |
| Explanation |
An unusual triangle of light will be particularly bright near the eastern horizon before sunrise during the next two months for observers in Earth's northern hemisphere. Once considered a false dawn [ http://www.odysseymagazine.com/pages/Stargazer.html ], this triangle of light is actually Zodiacal Light [ http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek/zodiac.html ], light reflected from interplanetary dust particles [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010813.html ]. The triangle is clearly visible on the left of the above frame taken from Mauna Kea [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mko/ ] in Hawaii [ http://www.state.hi.us/ ] on August 30 by one of the developing global network of fisheye nighttime web cameras [ http://concam.net/ ] called CONCAMs [ http://concam.net/about.html ]. Zodiacal dust [ http://stardust.wustl.edu/IDPIntro.html ] orbits the Sun [ http://www.nineplanets.org/sol.html ] predominantly in the same plane as the planets: the ecliptic [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001014.html ]. Indeed, the triangle points to bright spots Jupiter and Saturn [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010807.html ], with Saturn [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010702.html ] nearer the center. Zodiacal light [ http://www.as.wvu.edu/~jel/skywatch/skw9810h.html ] is so bright this time of year because the dust band [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000517.html ] is oriented nearly vertical at sunrise, so that the thick air near the horizon does not block [ http://www.earthsky.com/2000/es000327.html ] out relatively bright reflecting [ http://sirtf.jpl.nasa.gov/SciUser/C_PropKit/bgdoc_release/node3.html ] dust. Zodiacal light [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990613.html ] is also bright for people in Earth's northern hemisphere in March and April just after sunset. |
|
Zodiacal Light and the False
…
| Title |
Zodiacal Light and the False Dawn |
| Explanation |
An unusual triangle of light will be particularly bright near the eastern horizon before sunrise during the next two months for observers in Earth's northern hemisphere. Once considered a false dawn [ http://www.odysseymagazine.com/pages/Stargazer.html ], this triangle of light is actually Zodiacal Light [ http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek/zodiac.html ], light reflected from interplanetary dust particles [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010813.html ]. The triangle is clearly visible on the left of the above frame taken from Mauna Kea [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mko/ ] in Hawaii [ http://www.state.hi.us/ ] on September 8 by one of the developing global network of fisheye nighttime web cameras, called CONCAMs [ http://concam.net/about.html ], of the Night Sky Live Project [ http://concam.net/ ]. Zodiacal dust [ http://stardust.wustl.edu/IDPIntro.html ] orbits the Sun [ http://www.nineplanets.org/sol.html ] predominantly in the same plane as the planets: the ecliptic [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001014.html ]. Zodiacal light [ http://www.as.wvu.edu/~jel/skywatch/skw9810h.html ] is so bright this time of year because the dust band [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000517.html ] is oriented nearly vertical at sunrise, so that the thick air near the horizon does not block [ http://www.earthsky.com/2000/es000327.html ] out relatively bright reflecting dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970825.html ]. Zodiacal light [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990613.html ] is also bright for people in Earth's northern hemisphere in March and April just after sunset. |
|
Moon, Mars, Venus, and Spica
| Title |
Moon, Mars, Venus, and Spica |
| Explanation |
Gliding toward today's total eclipse [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/ eclipse/TSE2002/TSE2002.html ] of the Sun, the crescent Moon has been rising early, just before dawn. And as a prelude to its close solar alignment [ http://www.mreclipse.com/ Special/SEprimer.html ], the Moon also completed a lovely celestial triangle, closing with bright planets Mars and Venus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020524.html ] on the morning of December 1. While [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021203.html ] the total solar eclipse can only [ http://profjohn.com/el/el2002/index.html ] be seen [ http://www.csiro.au/helix/eclipse/ ] from a [ http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/solar_eclipse_2002/ ] narrow corridor, skygazers around the globe could appreciate this [ http://www.spaceweather.com/planets/ gallery_01dec02.html ] lunar-planetary conjunction. This view is from near Nashville Tennessee, USA, and finds brilliant Venus at the lowest corner of the triangle with a much fainter Mars immediately to the right of the Moon. The Moon's sunlit crescent is overexposed, but details of the lunar night side are revealed by earthshine [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020419.html ]. Above and to the right of the trio is Spica [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ hr/5056.html ], brightest star in the constellation Virgo. |
|
A Magellanic Starfield
| Title |
A Magellanic Starfield |
| Explanation |
Stars of many types and colors are visible in this Hubble Space Telescope [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/1999/44/index.html ] close-up of a starfield in the Large Magellanic Cloud [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980203.html ] (LMC). Over 10,000 stars are visible [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/1999/44/ supplemental.html ] -- the brightest of which are giant stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990605.html ]. Were our Sun [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/sol.html ] at the distance of these stars [ http://sciastro.astronomy.net/sci.astro.7.FAQ ], about 170,000 light-years, it would hardly be discernable. By contrast, only a few thousand individual stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/gifcity/ msblues.html ] can be seen in the night sky with the unaided eye, and many of these lie within only a few hundred light-years. So typically, the light we see from nearby stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981025.html ] left during the age of our great-grand-parents, while light from LMC stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990221.html ] started its journey well before the dawn [ http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/ quaternary/ple.html ] of recorded human history. |
|
Eclipse in the Mist
| Title |
Eclipse in the Mist |
| Explanation |
The Sun and Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010907.html ] rose together over much of Europe on the morning of May 31st [ http://www.xs4all.nl/~carlkop/zoneclips/eclipse.html ] with the first solar eclipse of 2003 already in progress. And while sightings of the full annular phase of the eclipse were restricted to far northern [ http://eclipse.span.ch/2003ase.htm ] regions, early morning risers were still treated to inspiring views [ http://astrosurf.com/avex/eclipse.html ] of two celestial bodies which are most important to life [ http://www.astronomytoday.com/astronomy/ earthmoon.html ] on planet Earth. Following the dawn's spectacle from Charneux, Belgium, astrophotographer Olivier Meeckers recorded this evocative image of the partially eclipsed Sun rising above a primeval apparition of mists and trees [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021122.html ]. Last month was indeed a rewarding one for eclipse watchers [ http://www.eurospacecenter.be/eclipses2003.htm ] as May's full Moon and (second) new Moon lined up for their respective lunar [ http://www.spaceweather.com/eclipses/ gallery_15may03.html ] and solar [ http://www.spaceweather.com/eclipses/ gallery_31may03.html ] eclipses. November 2003 [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/ OH2003.html ] will also host both a total lunar and total solar eclipse [ http://www.earthview.com/tutorial/causes.htm ]. |
|
Comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR)
| Title |
Comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) |
| Explanation |
Discovered by the the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project in October of 2002, comet C/2002 T7 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040209.html ] is now visiting the inner solar system, making its closest approach (see animation by L. Koehn [ mailto:zeromagnitude@aol.com ]) to the Sun tomorrow, April 23rd. Emerging from the solar glare, the comet is [ http://www.nineplanets.org/comets.html ] now just visible to the unaided eye in the constellation Pisces, near the eastern horizon in morning twilight. In this gorgeous telescopic view [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/ c-2002t7.html ] recorded before dawn yesterday, the clearly active comet has developed an extensive, complex tail extending [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000413.html ] over 2 degrees in the anti-sunward direction, and a pronounced anti-tail [ http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov/define.html ] or anomalous tail. Later next month this comet should appear brighter, making its closest approach to planet Earth on May 19th. In fact, it could share southern skies [ http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/ article_1037_1.asp ] with another naked-eye comet, also anticipated to brighten in May, designated C/2001 Q4 (NEAT). |
|
Zodiacal Light and the False
…
| Title |
Zodiacal Light and the False Dawn |
| Explanation |
An unusual triangle of light will be particularly bright near the eastern horizon before sunrise during the next two months for observers in Earth's northern hemisphere. Once considered a false dawn [ http://www.odysseymagazine.com/pages/Stargazer.html ], this triangle of light is actually Zodiacal Light [ http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek/zodiac.html ], light reflected from interplanetary dust particles [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010813.html ]. The triangle is clearly visible in the left frame taken in Namibia [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/wa.html ] in May. Rolling the cursor [ http://www.ox.compsoc.net/~swhite/history/ ] over the image will bring up labels. Bright zodiacal light [ http://nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewtopic.php?p=170 ] can be seen nearly every clear moonless morning over the next few months on images taken by the Mauna Kea [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mko/ ], Hawaii [ http://www.state.hi.us/ ] fisheye CONCAM [ http://nightskylive.net/about.html ] of the Night Sky Live [ http://nightskylive.net/ ] project. Zodiacal dust [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/cosmic_reference/zodydust.html ] orbits the Sun [ http://www.nineplanets.org/sol.html ] predominantly in the same plane as the planets: the ecliptic [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001014.html ]. Zodiacal light [ http://www.as.wvu.edu/~jel/skywatch/skw9810h.html ] is so bright this time of year because the dust band [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000517.html ] is oriented nearly vertical at sunrise, so that the thick air near the horizon does not block [ http://www.earthsky.com/shows/shows.php?t=20040324 ] out relatively bright reflecting dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970825.html ]. Zodiacal light [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020915.html ] is also bright for people in Earth's northern hemisphere in March and April just after sunset. |
|
Shadow Set
| Title |
Shadow Set |
| Explanation |
A nearly full Moon [ http://www.inconstantmoon.com/ ] and planet Earth's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030424.html ] shadow set together in this scene captured Monday from snowy Mt. Jelm, home of the Wyoming Infrared Observatory [ http://faraday.uwyo.edu/observatories/wiro/ ]. For early morning risers (and late to bed astronomers [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030313.html ]), shadow set in the western sky is a daily apparition [ http://webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/14E.html ] whose subtle beauty is often overlooked in favor of the more colorful eastern horizon. Extending through [ http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/atoptics/ earshad.htm ] the dense atmosphere, Earth's setting shadow is seen [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030822.html ] in this picture as a dark blue band along the distant horizon, bounded above by a pinkish glow or antitwilight [ http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/ glossary/search?id=antitwilight-arch1 ] arch. Also known as the Belt of Venus, the arch's lovely color [ http://pages.prodigy.net/pam.orman/joemoon/ MoonPlanets_040206_34.html ] is due to backscattering of reddened light from the rising Sun. The setting Moon's light is also reddened [ http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/ blue_sky.html ] by the long sight-line through the atmosphere and echoes the dawn sky's yellow-orange hues [ http://webexhibits.org/ causesofcolor/14B.html ]. |
|
A Magellanic Starfield
| Title |
A Magellanic Starfield |
| Explanation |
Stars of many types and colors are visible in this Hubble Space Telescope vista [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/99dec2/lmcstarlinklist.html ] of the Large Magellanic Cloud [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980203.html ] (LMC). Over 10,000 stars [ http://www2.stx.com/cafe/qadir/astarsg.html ] are visible -- the brightest of which are giant stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990605.html ]. Were our Sun [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/sol.html ] 170,000 light-years distant and among these stars [ http://sciastro.astronomy.net/sci.astro.7.FAQ ], it would hardly be discernable [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/99dec2/lmcstarphil.html ]. By contrast, only a few thousand stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/gifcity/msblues.html ] are individually visible at night with the unaided eye, and many of these lie within only a few hundred light-years. Typically, the light we see from nearby stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981025.html ] left during the age of our great-grand-parents, while light from LMC stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990221.html ] started its journey before the dawn of recorded [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_334000/334517.stm ] human history. |
|
Pathfinder aircraft prepared
…
| Title |
Pathfinder aircraft prepared for flight at dawn on lakebed |
| Description |
The Pathfinder solar-powered research aircraft is silhouetted by the morning sun on the bed of Rogers Dry Lake as technicians prepare it for flight. The unique remotely piloted flying wing flew for two hours under control of a ground-based pilot on Nov. 19, 1996, at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, while engineers checked out various aircraft systems. Pathfinder was a lightweight, solar-powered, remotely piloted flying wing aircraft used to demonstrate the use of solar power for long-duration, high-altitude flight. Its name denotes its mission as the "Pathfinder" or first in a series of solar-powered aircraft that will be able to remain airborne for weeks or months on scientific sampling and imaging missions. Solar arrays covered most of the upper wing surface of the Pathfinder aircraft. These arrays provided up to 8,000 watts of power at high noon on a clear summer day. That power fed the aircraft's six electric motors as well as its avionics, communications, and other electrical systems. Pathfinder also had a backup battery system that could provide power for two to five hours, allowing for limited-duration flight after dark. Pathfinder flew at airspeeds of only 15 to 20 mph. Pitch control was maintained by using tiny elevators on the trailing edge of the wing while turns and yaw control were accomplished by slowing down or speeding up the motors on the outboard sections of the wing. On September 11, 1995, Pathfinder set a new altitude record for solar-powered aircraft of 50,567 feet above Edwards Air Force Base, California, on a 12-hour flight. On July 7, 1997, it set another, unofficial record of 71,500 feet at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii. In 1998, Pathfinder was modified into the longer-winged Pathfinder Plus configuration. (See the Pathfinder Plus photos and project description.) |
| Date |
01.01.1996 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
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