APOD: 2015 November 10 - AE Aurigae and the Flaming Star Nebula

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 10
[2]
AE Aurigae and the Flaming Star Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Jes.s Vargas [3] (Sky-Astrophotography [4] ) &
Maritxu Poyal (Maritxu)

Explanation: Is star AE Aurigae on fire? No. Even though AE Aurigae [5] is named the flaming star, the surrounding nebula IC 405 [6] is named the
Flaming Star Nebula [7] , and the region appears to have the color of fire [8] , there is no fire. Fire [9] , typically defined as the rapid molecular acquisition of oxygen [10] , happens only when sufficient oxygen is present
and is not important in such high-energy, low-oxygen environments such as stars. The material that appears as smoke [11] is mostly interstellar
hydrogen [12] , but does contain smoke-like dark filaments of carbon-rich dust grains [13] . The bright star AE Aurigae [14] , visible toward the right near the nebula's center, is so hot it is blue, emitting light so energetic it knocks electrons [15] away from surrounding gas. When a proton [16]
recaptures an electron, light is emitted, as seen in the surrounding emission nebula [17] . Pictured above [18] , the Flaming Star nebula [19] lies about 1,500 light years [20] distant, spans about 5 light years [21] , and is visible with a small telescope toward the constellation [22] of the
Charioteer [23] (Auriga).

Follow APOD on: Facebook [24] , Google Plus [25] , or Twitter [26]
Tomorrow's picture: open space [27]

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [39] (MTU [40] ) & Jerry Bonnell [41]
(UMCP [42] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [43] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [44]
A service of: ASD [45] at NASA [46] / GSFC [47]
& Michigan Tech. U. [48]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/FlamingStar_Vargas_1588.jpg
[3] mailto: astrogades at gmail.com
[4] http://www.sky-astrophotography.com/
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AE_Aurigae
[6] ap031124.html
[7] http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/F/Flaming_Star_Nebula.html
[8] ap130901.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire
[10] http://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml
[11] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UlsArvbTeo
[12] ap010113.html
[13] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_dust
[14] http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/html/im0686.html
[15] http://www.aip.org/history/electron/
[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton
[17] emission_nebulae.html
[18] http://www.astrobin.com/160864/B/
[19] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2004ApJ...616..257F
[20] http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html
[21]
https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/Numbers/Math/Mathematical_Thinking/ how_long_is_a_light_year.htm
[22] http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html
[23] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auriga_(constellation)
[24] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[25] https://plus.google.com/u/1/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[26] http://twitter.com/apod/
[27] ap151111.html
[28] ap151109.html
[29] archivepix.html
[30] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[31] lib/aptree.html
[32] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[33] calendar/allyears.html
[34] /apod.rss
[35] lib/edlinks.html
[36] lib/about_apod.html
[37] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151110
[38] ap151111.html
[39] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[40] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[41] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[42] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[43] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[44] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[45] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[46] http://www.nasa.gov/
[47] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[48] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 11 - An Unexpected Rocket Plume over San Francisco

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 11
[2]
An Unexpected Rocket Plume over San Francisco
Image Credit & Copyright: Abe Blair [3] (Abe Blair Gallery [4] )

Explanation: What is that unusual light in the sky? A common question, this particular light was not only bright but moving and expanding. It appeared
just as the astrophotographer and his friend were photographing the Golden
Gate Bridge [5] in San Francisco [6] , California [7] against a more predictable night sky. They were not alone in seeing this unusual display [8] -- at least hundreds of people in California reported a similar sight. The consensus of experienced sky observers [9] was that the plume [10] resulted from a rocket launch -- an explanation that was soon confirmed [11] as an unpublicized test of a submarine-launched [12] , unarmed, Trident II D5
nuclear missile [13] . Such tests are not uncommon but do not usually occur just after sunset [14] near a major metropolitan area -- when they are particularly noticeable [15] to many people. Were plume [16] images not posted to the Internet [17] and quickly identified [18] , such a sky
spectacle might have been understood by some to be associated with more grandiose [19] -- but incorrect -- explanations.

Tomorrow's picture: open space [20]

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [32] (MTU [33] ) & Jerry Bonnell [34]
(UMCP [35] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [36] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [37]
A service of: ASD [38] at NASA [39] / GSFC [40]
& Michigan Tech. U. [41]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/UnexpectedPlume_Blair_2112.jpg
[3] http://www.abeblair.com/portfolio.html?folio=Fine%20Art%20Landscape
[4] http://www.abeblair.com/
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate_Bridge
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California
[8]
https://www.facebook.com/ photo.php?fbid=10153771176844602&set=a.50265144601.75123.657074601
[9]
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1a/1f/ca/ 1a1fcaa7deab40d4c49bbfe87b0eed2d.jpg
[10] ap150905.html
[11]
http://defensetech.org/2015/11/09/ navy-launches-second-ballistic-missile-test-in-pacific/
[12] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aPvGGvnAGQ
[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trident_(missile)
[14] http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=pia19401
[15]
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/ la-me-ln-second-missile-launch-pentagon-20151109-story.html
[16] ap111127.html
[17] http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww235/fstlnj29/MVC-002S_zps95594de2.jpg
[18]
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/11/07/ california_mystery_light_trident_missile_test_seen_by_thousands.html
[19]
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3310577/ Photographer-captures-awe-inspiring-pictures-nuclear-capable-Trident-missile- streaking-San-Francisco-fired-coast-California.html
[20] ap151112.html
[21] ap151110.html
[22] archivepix.html
[23] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[24] lib/aptree.html
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[26] calendar/allyears.html
[27] /apod.rss
[28] lib/edlinks.html
[29] lib/about_apod.html
[30] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151111
[31] ap151112.html
[32] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[34] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[35] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[36] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[37] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[38] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[41] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 12 - Kenya Morning Moon, Planets and Taurid

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 12
[2]
Kenya Morning Moon, Planets, and Taurid
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Babak Tafreshi [4] (TWAN [5] )

Explanation: On November 8, a waning crescent Moon joined the continuing
parade of planets [6] in Earth's morning skies. Captured here from [7]
Amboseli National Park, Kenya, even the overexposed moonlight can't washout brilliant Venus though, lined up near the ecliptic plane with faint Mars and bright Jupiter above. As if Moon and planets aren't enough [8] , a comparably bright Taurid meteor also streaks through the scene. In fact November's Taurid meteor showers [9] have had a high proportion of bright fireballs. Apparently streaming from radiants in Taurus, the meteors are caused by our fair planet's annual passage [10] through debris from Comet 2P/Encke [11] . The comet's
dust grains are catching up with Earth's atmosphere at a relatively low speed of about 27 kilometers per second.

Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space [12]

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [23] (MTU [24] ) & Jerry Bonnell [25]
(UMCP [26] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [27] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [28]
A service of: ASD [29] at NASA [30] / GSFC [31]
& Michigan Tech. U. [32]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/KenyaTauridTafreshi_DSC8027cs.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.twanight.org/tafreshi
[5] http://www.twanight.org/
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCuQXGCuiPo
[7] http://www.dreamview.net/dv/new/ search.asp?keyword=kenya+fireball
[8] http://earthsky.org/tonight/ peak-night-for-n-taurid-meteor-shower-on-november-1112
[9] http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/ taurid-fireballs-continue/
[10] https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/2015/10/26/ the-taurid-swarm-is-upon-us/
[11] ap071003.html
[12] ap151113.html
[13] ap151111.html
[14] archivepix.html
[15] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[16] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[17] calendar/allyears.html
[18] /apod.rss
[19] lib/edlinks.html
[20] lib/about_apod.html
[21] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151112
[22] ap151113.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[26] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[27] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[28] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[29] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[32] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 13 - The Tadpoles of IC 410

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 13
[2]
The Tadpoles of IC 410
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Steven Coates [4]

Explanation: This telescopic close-up [5] shows off the otherwise faint emission nebula IC 410. It also features two remarkable inhabitants of the cosmic pond of gas and dust below and right of center, the tadpoles [6] of IC 410. Partly obscured by foreground dust, the nebula itself surrounds NGC 1893, a young [7] galactic cluster of stars. Formed in the interstellar cloud a mere 4 million years ago, the intensely hot, bright [8] cluster stars energize the glowing gas. Composed of denser cooler gas and dust, the tadpoles are around
10 light-years long and are likely sites of ongoing star formation. Sculpted
by [9] winds and radiation from the cluster stars, their heads are outlined by bright ridges of ionized gas while their tails trail away from the cluster's central region. IC 410 lies some 10,000 light-years away, toward the nebula-rich constellation Auriga [10] .

Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend [11]

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[17] | Education [18] | About APOD [19] | Discuss [20] | > [21] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
(UMCP [25] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [27]
A service of: ASD [28] at NASA [29] / GSFC [30]
& Michigan Tech. U. [31]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/ic410tadpoles_coates.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://coatesastrophotography.com/
[5] http://coatesastrophotography.com/p548858154/h2130d3b2
[6] http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/metimag8.htm
[7] http://arxiv.org/abs/1207.5632
[8] ap070726.html
[9] http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic0506b/
[10] ap140213.html
[11] ap151114.html
[12] ap151112.html
[13] archivepix.html
[14] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[15] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[16] calendar/allyears.html
[17] /apod.rss
[18] lib/edlinks.html
[19] lib/about_apod.html
[20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151113
[21] ap151114.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[27] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[28] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[31] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 14 - Wright Mons on Pluto

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 14
[2]
Wright Mons on Pluto
Image Credit: NASA [3] , Johns Hopkins Univ./APL [4] , Southwest Research
Institute [5]

Explanation: Long shadows are cast [6] by a low Sun across this rugged looking terrain. Captured by New Horizons, the scene is found just south of the southern tip Sputnik Planum, the informally named smooth, bright heart region of Pluto [7] . Centered is a feature provisionally known as Wright Mons, a broad, tall mountain, about 150 kilometers across and 4 kilometers high, with
a 56 kilometer wide, deep summit depression. Of course, broad mountains with central craters are found elsewhere in the Solar System, like Mauna Loa on planet Earth [8] and Olympus Mons on Mars [9] . In fact, New Horizons scientists announced the striking similarity of Pluto's Wright Mons, and [10] nearby Piccard Mons, to large shield volcanoes strongly suggests the two could be giant cryovolcanoes that once erupted molten ice from the interior of the cold, distant world.

Tomorrow's picture: monumental meteors [11]

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[17] | Education [18] | About APOD [19] | Discuss [20] | > [21] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
(UMCP [25] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [27]
A service of: ASD [28] at NASA [29] / GSFC [30]
& Michigan Tech. U. [31]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/WrightMons_PIA20155.jpg
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/
[4] http://www.jhuapl.edu/
[5] http://www.swri.edu/
[6] http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20155
[7] ap150831.html
[8] ap050704.html
[9] ap000529.html
[10] http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/ News-Article.php?page=20151109
[11] ap151115.html
[12] ap151113.html
[13] archivepix.html
[14] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[15] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[16] calendar/allyears.html
[17] /apod.rss
[18] lib/edlinks.html
[19] lib/about_apod.html
[20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151114
[21] ap151115.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[27] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[28] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[31] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 15 - Leonids Over Monument Valley

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 15
[2]
Leonids Over Monument Valley
Image Credit & Copyright: Sean M. Sabatini [3]

Explanation: There was a shower over Monument Valley [4] -- but not water. Meteors. The featured image -- actually a composite of six exposures of about 30 seconds each -- was taken in 2001, a year when there was a very active Leonids shower [5] . At that time, Earth was moving through a particularly dense swarm of sand-sized debris from Comet Tempel-Tuttle [6] , so that meteor rates approached one visible streak per second. The meteors [7] appear
parallel because they all fall to Earth from the meteor shower radiant [8] -- a point on the sky towards the constellation of the Lion (Leo [9] ). The
yearly Leonids meteor shower [10] peaks again this week. Although the Moon's glow should not obstruct the visibility of many meteors, this year's shower [11] will peak with perhaps 15 meteors [12] visible in an hour, a rate which is good but not expected to rival the 2001 Leonids [13] . By the way -- how many meteors can you identify [14] in the featured image?

Tomorrow's picture: meteor planet city [15]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [16] | Archive [17] | Submissions [18] | Index [19] | Search [20] | Calendar
[21] | RSS [22] | Education [23] | About APOD [24] | Discuss [25] | > [26] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [27] (MTU [28] ) & Jerry Bonnell [29]
(UMCP [30] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [31] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [32]
A service of: ASD [33] at NASA [34] / GSFC [35]
& Michigan Tech. U. [36]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/leonidsmonuments_sabatini_2330.jpg
[3] mailto: writesms @at@ cox.net
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_Valley
[5] ap101212.html
[6] http://cometography.com/pcomets/055p.html
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Radiant_%28meteor_shower%29
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_%28constellation%29
[10] http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/meteor-shower/en/
[11] http://earthsky.org/?p=29831
[12] ap011104.html
[13] ap011119.html
[14] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151115
[15] ap151116.html
[16] ap151114.html
[17] archivepix.html
[18] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[19] lib/aptree.html
[20] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[21] calendar/allyears.html
[22] /apod.rss
[23] lib/edlinks.html
[24] lib/about_apod.html
[25] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151115
[26] ap151116.html
[27] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[28] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[29] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[30] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[31] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[33] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[34] http://www.nasa.gov/
[35] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[36] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 16 - A Blazing Fireball between the Orion Nebula and Rigel

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 16
[2]
A Blazing Fireball between the Orion Nebula and Rigel
Image Credit & Copyright: Ivo Scheggia [3]

Explanation: What's happening to that meteor? A few days ago, a bright
fireball was photographed from [4] the Alps [5] mountain range in
Switzerland [6] as it blazed across the sky. The fireball, likely from the Taurids meteor shower [7] , was notable not only for how bright it was, but
for the rare orange light it created that lingered for several minutes. Initially, the orange glow made it seem like the meteor trail [8] was on
fire. However, the orange glow, known as a persistent train [9] , originated neither from fire nor sunlight-reflecting smoke. Rather, the persistent train [10] 's glow emanated from atoms in the Earth's atmosphere [11] in the path
of the meteor -- atoms that had an electron [12] knocked away and emit light during reacquisition. Persistent trains [13] often drift, so that the long 3-minute exposure actually captured the initial wind-blown displacement [14]
of these bright former ions [15] . The featured image was acquired when trying to image the famous Orion Nebula [16] , visible on the upper left. The bright blue star Rigel [17] , part of the constellation of Orion [18] , is visible to the right. This week the fireball-rich Taurids [19] meteor shower continues
to be active even though it has passed its peak, while the more active Leonids meteor shower [20] is just peaking.

Follow APOD on: Facebook [21] , Google Plus [22] , or Twitter [23]
Tomorrow's picture: interstellar tentacles [24]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [25] | Archive [26] | Submissions [27] | Index [28] | Search [29] | Calendar
[30] | RSS [31] | Education [32] | About APOD [33] | Discuss [34] | > [35] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [36] (MTU [37] ) & Jerry Bonnell [38]
(UMCP [39] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [40] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [41]
A service of: ASD [42] at NASA [43] / GSFC [44]
& Michigan Tech. U. [45]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/OrionFireball_Scheggia_2136.jpg
[3] mailto: ischeggia @at@ bluewin.ch
[4] https://goo.gl/maps/KMS3d1qA6r32
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alps
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland
[7] https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/2015/10/26/the-taurid-swarm-is-upon-us/
[8] ap011122.html
[9]
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/10/02/ a-meteors-lingering-tale/
[10] ap000428.html
[11] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/atmosphere-layers2.html
[12] http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/whelect.html
[13] http://www.imo.net/video/examples/example5
[14] http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1511/OrionFireball_Scheggia_video.gif
[15]
http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/ 1-what-is-an-ion.html
[16] ap140408.html
[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigel
[18] ap150316.html
[19] http://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/2011/11/08/post_1320771751374/
[20]
http://www.universetoday.com/123251/ from-a-roar-to-a-purr-prospects-for-the-2015-november-leonid-meteors/
[21] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[22] https://plus.google.com/u/1/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[23] http://twitter.com/apod/
[24] ap151117.html
[25] ap151115.html
[26] archivepix.html
[27] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[28] lib/aptree.html
[29] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[30] calendar/allyears.html
[31] /apod.rss
[32] lib/edlinks.html
[33] lib/about_apod.html
[34] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151116
[35] ap151117.html
[36] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[37] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[38] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[39] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[40] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[42] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[43] http://www.nasa.gov/
[44] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[45] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 17 - The Pelican Nebula in Gas Dust and Stars

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 17
[2]
The Pelican Nebula in Gas, Dust, and Stars
Image Credit & Copyright: Roberto Colombari [3]

Explanation: The Pelican Nebula is slowly being transformed. IC 5070, the official designation, is divided from the larger North America Nebula [4] by
a molecular cloud [5] filled with dark dust [6] . The Pelican [7] , however, receives much study because it is a particularly active mix of star formation [8] and evolving gas clouds. The featured picture [9] was produced in three specific colors -- light emitted by sulfur [10] , hydrogen [11] , and oxygen [12] -- that can help us to better understand these interactions. The light from young energetic stars is slowly transforming the cold gas to hot gas,
with the advancing boundary [13] between the two, known as an ionization [14] front, visible in bright orange on the right. Particularly dense tentacles
[15] of cold gas remain. Millions of years from now this nebula might no longer be known as the Pelican [16] , as the balance and placement of stars
and gas [17] will surely leave something that appears completely different.

Yearly Astronomy Review: APOD editor to speak in January in Philadelphia [18]
and New York City [19]
Tomorrow's picture: open space [20]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [21] | Archive [22] | Submissions [23] | Index [24] | Search [25] | Calendar
[26] | RSS [27] | Education [28] | About APOD [29] | Discuss [30] | > [31] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [32] (MTU [33] ) & Jerry Bonnell [34]
(UMCP [35] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [36] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [37]
A service of: ASD [38] at NASA [39] / GSFC [40]
& Michigan Tech. U. [41]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/Pelican_Colombari_3140.jpg
[3] http://www.astrobin.com/users/rob77/
[4] ap000501.html
[5] ap141214.html
[6] http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/stardust/interstellardust.cfm
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1jUJQyzv8M
[8] ap120722.html
[9] http://www.astrobin.com/222777/0/
[10] http://periodic.lanl.gov/16.shtml
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen
[12] http://www.chemicool.com/elements/oxygen.html
[13] ap981118.html
[14] http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/light/ionization.html
[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tentacle#/media/File:Snail-front-0A.jpg
[16] http://apod.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?tquery=Pelican
[17] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1980ApJ...239..121B
[18] http://www.rittenhouseastronomicalsociety.org/Pages/meetings.htm
[19] http://www.aaa.org/lectures/lecture-series-2015-2016/
[20] ap151118.html
[21] ap151116.html
[22] archivepix.html
[23] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[24] lib/aptree.html
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[26] calendar/allyears.html
[27] /apod.rss
[28] lib/edlinks.html
[29] lib/about_apod.html
[30] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151117
[31] ap151118.html
[32] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[34] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[35] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[36] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[37] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[38] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[41] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 18 - A Sudden Jet on Comet 67P

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 18
[2]
A Sudden Jet on Comet 67P
Image Credit [3] : ESA [4] / Rosetta [5] / MPS [6]

Explanation: There she blows! [7] A dramatic demonstration of how short-lived some comet jets can be was documented in late July by the robotic Rosetta spacecraft [8] orbiting the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko [9] . The featured animation [10] depicts changes in the rotating comet with three illuminating stills [11] . Although the first frame shows nothing unusual, the second frame shows a sudden strong jet shooting off the 67P [12] 's surface only 20 minutes later, while the third frame -- taken 20 minutes after that -- shows but a slight remnant of the once-active jet [13] . As comets near the Sun, they can produce long and beautiful tails [14] that stream across the inner Solar System. How comet jets produce these tails [15] is a topic of research -- helped by images like this. Another recent Rosetta measurement indicates [16] that the water on Earth [17] could not have come from comets like 67P [18] because of significant differences in impurities. Comet 67P spans about four kilometers [19] , orbits the Sun between Earth and Jupiter, and has been the home for ESA [20] 's Rosetta spaceship [21] since 2014 August. Rosetta is currently scheduled [22] to make a slow crash [23] onto Comet 67P's surface in late 2016.

Now Available: APOD 2016 Wall Calendars [24]
Tomorrow's picture: open space [25]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [26] | Archive [27] | Submissions [28] | Index [29] | Search [30] | Calendar
[31] | RSS [32] | Education [33] | About APOD [34] | Discuss [35] | > [36] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [37] (MTU [38] ) & Jerry Bonnell [39]
(UMCP [40] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [41] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [42]
A service of: ASD [43] at NASA [44] / GSFC [45]
& Michigan Tech. U. [46]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/Comet67PJet_Rosetta_1042.gif
[3] http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images
[4] http://www.esa.int/
[5] http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta
[6] http://www.mps.mpg.de/en
[7] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/there_she_blows
[8] http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/Europe_s_comet_chaser
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/67P/Churyumov%E2%80%93Gerasimenko
[10] http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19867
[11] http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpegMod/PIA19867_modest.jpg
[12] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ9ivd7wv30
[13] ap150815.html
[14] ap131117.html
[15] ap150203.html
[16]
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/ Rosetta_fuels_debate_on_origin_of_Earth_s_oceans
[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_water_on_Earth
[18] ap150520.html
[19] http://www.iflscience.com/space/graphic-shows-size-rosettas-comet
[20] http://www.esa.int/
[21] ap141016.html
[22] http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2015/06/23/rosetta-mission-extended/
[23] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ2eqH3Bz4c
[24] http://friendsofapod.org/?page_id=209
[25] ap151119.html
[26] ap151117.html
[27] archivepix.html
[28] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[29] lib/aptree.html
[30] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[31] calendar/allyears.html
[32] /apod.rss
[33] lib/edlinks.html
[34] lib/about_apod.html
[35] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151118
[36] ap151119.html
[37] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[38] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[39] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[40] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[41] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[42] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[43] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[44] http://www.nasa.gov/
[45] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[46] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 19 - Centaurus A

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 19
[2]
Centaurus A
Processing & Copyright: Robert Gendler [3] , Roberto Colombari [4]
Image Data: Hubble Space Telescope [5] , European Southern Observatory [6]

Explanation: What's the closest active galaxy [7] to planet Earth? That would be Centaurus A, only 11 million light-years distant. Spanning over 60,000 light-years, the peculiar elliptical galaxy is also known as NGC 5128 [8] . Forged in a collision of two [9] otherwise normal galaxies, Centaurus A's fantastic jumble of young blue star clusters, pinkish star forming regions,
and imposing dark dust lanes are seen here in remarkable detail. The colorful galaxy portrait [10] is a composite of image data from space- and
ground-based telescopes large and small. Near the galaxy's center [11] , left over cosmic debris is steadily being consumed by a central black hole with a billion times the mass of the Sun. As in other active galaxies [12] , that process generates the radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray energy radiated by Centaurus A.

Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space [13]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [14] | Archive [15] | Submissions [16] | Search [17] | Calendar [18] | RSS
[19] | Education [20] | About APOD [21] | Discuss [22] | > [23] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [24] (MTU [25] ) & Jerry Bonnell [26]
(UMCP [27] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [28] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [29]
A service of: ASD [30] at NASA [31] / GSFC [32]
& Michigan Tech. U. [33]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/Centaurus-HST-ESO-LL.jpg
[3] http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/
[4] http://www.astrobin.com/users/rob77/
[5] http://hla.stsci.edu/hla_welcome.html
[6] http://eso.org
[7] ap080110.html
[8] http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galgrps/ngc5128.html
[9] http://burro.cwru.edu/JavaLab/GalCrashWeb/
[10] http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/Centaurus-HST-ESO.html
[11] http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/video-audio/ 693-ssc2004-09v1-The-Making-of-a-Galactic-Parallelogram
[12] http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/ nasas-fermi-mission-finds-hints-of-gamma-ray-cycle-in-an-active-galaxy
[13] ap151120.html
[14] ap151118.html
[15] archivepix.html
[16] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[17] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[18] calendar/allyears.html
[19] /apod.rss
[20] lib/edlinks.html
[21] lib/about_apod.html
[22] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151119
[23] ap151120.html
[24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[25] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[27] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[28] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[30] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[33] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 20 - Leonids and Friends

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 20
[2]
Leonids and Friends
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Malcolm Park [4] (North York Astronomical
Association [5] )

Explanation: Leonid meteors rained down [6] on planet Earth this week, the annual shower of dusty debris from the orbit of Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle [7] . Leonids streak through this composite night skyview from a backyard
observatory in southern Ontario. Recorded with camera fixed to a tripod, the individual frames capture the bright meteor activity throughout the night of November 16/17, about a day before the shower's very modest peak [8] . The frames are registered to the fixed field of view, so the meteor trails are not all aligned to the background star field recorded that evening when Orion
stood above the southern horizon. As a result, the trails don't appear to
point back to the shower's radiant [9] in Leo, situated off the left edge of the star field frame. In fact, some trails could be of Taurid meteors [10] , a shower also active in November, or even sporadic meteors, including a bright fireball with its reflection near the horizon.

Tomorrow's picture: Intergalactic Saturday [11]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [12] | Archive [13] | Submissions [14] | Search [15] | Calendar [16] | RSS
[17] | Education [18] | About APOD [19] | Discuss [20] | > [21] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
(UMCP [25] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [27]
A service of: ASD [28] at NASA [29] / GSFC [30]
& Michigan Tech. U. [31]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/ParkMeteors11_16_17.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.photopark.ca/
[5] http://www.nyaa.ca/
[6] http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/leonids.cfm
[7] http://cometography.com/pcomets/055p.html
[8] http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/ leonid-meteor-shower-in-2015-111720155/
[9] ap021127.html
[10] ap151112.html
[11] ap151121.html
[12] ap151119.html
[13] archivepix.html
[14] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[15] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[16] calendar/allyears.html
[17] /apod.rss
[18] lib/edlinks.html
[19] lib/about_apod.html
[20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151120
[21] ap151121.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[27] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[28] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[31] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 21 - Recycling NGC 5291

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 21
[2]
Recycling NGC 5291
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : CHART32 Team [4] , Processing - Johannes
Schedler [5]

Explanation: Following an ancient galaxy-galaxy collision [6] 200 million light-years from Earth, debris from a gas-rich galaxy, NGC 5291, was flung far into intergalactic space. NGC 5291 and the likely interloper, also known as
the "Seashell" galaxy, are captured near the center of this spectacular scene. The sharp, ground-based telescopic image [7] looks toward the galaxy cluster Abell 3574 in the southern constellation Centaurus. Stretched along the
100,000 light-year long tidal tails [8] , are clumps resembling dwarf
galaxies, but lacking old stars, apparently dominated by young stars and
active star forming regions. Found to be unusually rich in elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, the dwarf galaxies were likely born in intergalactic space [9] , recycling the enriched debris from NGC 5291 itself.

Tomorrow's picture: doomed moon [10]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [11] | Archive [12] | Submissions [13] | Search [14] | Calendar [15] | RSS
[16] | Education [17] | About APOD [18] | Discuss [19] | > [20] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [21] (MTU [22] ) & Jerry Bonnell [23]
(UMCP [24] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [25] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [26]
A service of: ASD [27] at NASA [28] / GSFC [29]
& Michigan Tech. U. [30]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/NGC5291_c80aSchedler.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://chart32.de/index.php/group
[5] http://panther-observatory.com/
[6] http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2007/darkdwarfs/
[7] http://chart32.de/index.php/component/k2/item/179
[8] ap121108.html
[9] http://arxiv.org/abs/1010.2201
[10] ap151122.html
[11] ap151120.html
[12] archivepix.html
[13] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[14] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[15] calendar/allyears.html
[16] /apod.rss
[17] lib/edlinks.html
[18] lib/about_apod.html
[19] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151121
[20] ap151122.html
[21] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[23] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[24] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[25] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[26] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[27] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[28] http://www.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[30] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 22 - Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 22
[2]
Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
Image Credit: HiRISE [3] , MRO [4] , LPL (U. Arizona) [5] , NASA [6]

Explanation: This moon is doomed. Mars [7] , the red planet named for the
Roman god of war [8] , has two tiny moons, Phobos [9] and Deimos [10] , whose names are derived from the Greek for Fear and Panic [11] . These martian moons [12] may well be captured asteroids [13] originating in the main asteroid
belt between Mars and Jupiter [14] or perhaps from even more distant reaches
of the Solar System. The larger moon, Phobos [15] , is indeed seen to be a cratered, asteroid-like object in this stunning color image [16] from the robotic Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter [17] , recorded at a resolution of about seven meters per pixel. But Phobos [18] orbits so close to Mars - about 5,800 kilometers above the surface compared to 400,000 kilometers for our Moon [19]
- that gravitational tidal forces [20] are dragging it down. A recent analysis [21] of the long grooves indicates that they may result from global stretching caused by tides [22] -- the differing force of Mars' gravity on different sides of Phobos [23] . These grooves may then be an early phase in the disintegration [24] of Phobos [25] into a ring of debris around Mars.

Follow APOD on: Facebook [26] , Google Plus [27] , or Twitter [28]
Tomorrow's picture: orion in 212 hours [29]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [30] | Archive [31] | Submissions [32] | Index [33] | Search [34] | Calendar
[35] | RSS [36] | Education [37] | About APOD [38] | Discuss [39] | > [40] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [41] (MTU [42] ) & Jerry Bonnell [43]
(UMCP [44] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [45] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [46]
A service of: ASD [47] at NASA [48] / GSFC [49]
& Michigan Tech. U. [50]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/Phobos_MRO_3374.jpg
[3] http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/
[4] http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/
[5] http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/
[6] http://www.nasa.gov/
[7] http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/extreme/
[8] http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/mars.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_(moon)
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deimos_(moon)
[11] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yzPdCk_Kc30/UcsbcNxTCKI/AAAAAAAAB-I/9bTfzfm9KKw/ s1600/scared_cat_is_really_scared-e1349731123898.jpg
[12] ap031024.html
[13] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid
[14] http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/jupiter/jupiter.html
[15] ap030329.html
[16] http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10368
[17] http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/mission/spacecraft/
[18] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHDH7cKX_SA
[19] ap020504.html
[20] http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/moon/tidal.html
[21] https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/phobos-is-falling-apart
[22] http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/tides.html
[23] ap100317.html
[24] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJHRyjkmxss
[25] ap080410.html
[26] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[27] https://plus.google.com/u/1/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[28] http://twitter.com/apod/
[29] ap151123.html
[30] ap151121.html
[31] archivepix.html
[32] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[33] lib/aptree.html
[34] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[35] calendar/allyears.html
[36] /apod.rss
[37] lib/edlinks.html
[38] lib/about_apod.html
[39] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151122
[40] ap151123.html
[41] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[42] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[43] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[44] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[45] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[46] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[47] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[48] http://www.nasa.gov/
[49] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[50] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 23 - A 212 Hour Exposure of Orion

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 23
[2]
A 212-Hour Exposure of Orion
Image Credit & Copyright: Stanislav Volskiy [3] , Rollover Annotation: Judy
Schmidt [4]

Explanation: The constellation of Orion is much more than three stars in a
row. It is a direction in space that is rich [5] with impressive nebulas. To better appreciate this well-known swath of sky, an extremely long exposure [6]
was taken over many clear nights in 2013 and 2014. After 212 hours of camera time and an additional year [7] of processing, the featured 1400-exposure collage spanning over 40 times the angular diameter [8] of the Moon [9] emerged. Of the many interesting details that have become visible, one that particularly draws the eye is Barnard's Loop [10] , the bright red circular filament arcing down from the middle. The Rosette Nebula is not the giant red nebula near the top of the image -- that is a larger but lesser known nebula known as Lambda Orionis. The Rosette Nebula [11] is visible, though: it is
the red and white nebula on the upper left. The bright orange star just above the frame center is Betelgeuse [12] , while the bright blue star on the lower right is Rigel [13] . Other famous nebulas visible include the Witch Head Nebula [14] , the Flame Nebula [15] , the Fox Fur Nebula [16] , and, if you know just where to look, the comparatively small Horsehead Nebula [17] . About those famous three stars [18] that cross the belt of Orion the Hunter [19]
-- in this busy frame they can be hard to locate, but a discerning eye will find them just below and to the right of the image center.

Next year in space: APOD 2016 Wall Calendars [20]
Tomorrow's picture: iceland sky [21]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [22] | Archive [23] | Submissions [24] | Index [25] | Search [26] | Calendar
[27] | RSS [28] | Education [29] | About APOD [30] | Discuss [31] | > [32] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [33] (MTU [34] ) & Jerry Bonnell [35]
(UMCP [36] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [37] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [38]
A service of: ASD [39] at NASA [40] / GSFC [41]
& Michigan Tech. U. [42]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/Orion212_Volskiy_5574.jpg
[3] https://volskiy.smugmug.com/
[4] http://geckzilla.com/
[5] ap150316.html
[6]
https://volskiy.smugmug.com/Nebulas/i-8dZ6DdL/0/O/ Orion_2787x2412px_25_percent_CR1_2_sRGB.jpg
[7] http://www.socialsneaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/bored-cat_Fotor.jpg
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angular_diameter
[9] http://moon.nasa.gov/about.cfm
[10] ap090224.html
[11] ap150225.html
[12] ap100106.html
[13] http://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/blue-white-rigel-is-orions-brightest-star
[14] ap151030.html
[15] ap141209.html
[16] ap080422.html
[17] ap150513.html
[18] ap090210.html
[19] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_(constellation)
[20] http://friendsofapod.org/?page_id=209
[21] ap151124.html
[22] ap151122.html
[23] archivepix.html
[24] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[25] lib/aptree.html
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[27] calendar/allyears.html
[28] /apod.rss
[29] lib/edlinks.html
[30] lib/about_apod.html
[31] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151123
[32] ap151124.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[35] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[36] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[37] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[39] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[42] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 24 - Aurora over Clouds

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 24
[2]
Aurora over Clouds
Image Credit & Copyright: Daniele Boffelli [3]

Explanation: Auroras usually occur high above the clouds. The auroral glow [4]
is created when fast-moving particles ejected from the Sun impact the Earth's magnetosphere [5] , from which charged particles spiral along the Earth's magnetic field [6] to strike atoms and molecules high in the Earth's atmosphere [7] . An oxygen [8] atom, for example, will glow in the green
light commonly emitted by an aurora [9] after being energized by such a collision. The lowest part of an aurora [10] will typically occur at 100 kilometers up, while most clouds usually exist only below about 10 kilometers. The relative heights of clouds and auroras [11] are shown clearly in the featured picture [12] from Dyrholaey [13] , Iceland [14] . There, a
determined astrophotographer withstood high winds [15] and initially overcast skies in an attempt to capture aurora over a picturesque lighthouse [16] ,
only to take, by chance, the featured picture along the way [17] .

Date the Universe: APOD 2016 Wall Calendars [18]
Tomorrow's picture: open space [19]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [20] | Archive [21] | Submissions [22] | Index [23] | Search [24] | Calendar
[25] | RSS [26] | Education [27] | About APOD [28] | Discuss [29] | > [30] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [31] (MTU [32] ) & Jerry Bonnell [33]
(UMCP [34] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [35] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [36]
A service of: ASD [37] at NASA [38] / GSFC [39]
& Michigan Tech. U. [40]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/AuroraClouds_Boffelli_2048.jpg
[3] https://www.facebook.com/danieleboffellifotografia/
[4] http://www.atoptics.co.uk/highsky/auror3.htm
[5] http://science.nasa.gov/heliophysics/focus-areas/magnetosphere-ionosphere/
[6]
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/gallery/ Earths-magneticfieldlines-dipole.html
[7] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/atmosphere-layers2.html
[8] http://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml
[9] ap141103.html
[10] ap130609.html
[11] http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast
[12] https://www.facebook.com/NikonItalia/photos/a.380376239661.158168.147466084661/ 10153716437154662/
[13] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6lZYntxJf8
[14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland
[15] http://puppytoob.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/04/Dogs_In_Wind_9.jpg
[16] image/1511/DSC_6447.jpg
[17] https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Lennon#Double_Fantasy_.281980.29
[18] http://friendsofapod.org/?page_id=209
[19] ap151125.html
[20] ap151123.html
[21] archivepix.html
[22] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[23] lib/aptree.html
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[25] calendar/allyears.html
[26] /apod.rss
[27] lib/edlinks.html
[28] lib/about_apod.html
[29] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151124
[30] ap151125.html
[31] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[32] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[33] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[34] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[35] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[36] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[37] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[40] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 25 - Unusual Pits Discovered on Pluto

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 25
[2]
Unusual Pits Discovered on Pluto
Image Credit: NASA [3] , Johns Hopkins U. APL [4] , SwRI [5]

Explanation: Why are there unusual pits on Pluto? The indentations [6] were discovered during the New Horizons [7] spacecraft's flyby of the dwarf planet [8] in July. The largest pits span a kilometer across and dip tens of meters into a lake of frozen nitrogen [9] , a lake that sprawls across Sputnik Planum [10] , part of the famous light-colored heart-shaped region named Tombaugh Regio [11] . Although most pits in the Solar System are created by impact craters, these depressions [12] look different -- many are similarly sized, densely packed, and aligned. Rather, it is thought that something has caused these specific areas [13] of ice to sublimate [14] and evaporate away. In fact, the lack of overlying impact craters [15] indicates these pits formed relatively recently. Even though the robotic New Horizons [16] is now off to
a new destination [17] , it continues to beam back to Earth new images [18]
and data from its dramatic encounter [19] with Pluto [20] .

Tomorrow's picture: planets of the morning [21]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [22] | Archive [23] | Submissions [24] | Index [25] | Search [26] | Calendar
[27] | RSS [28] | Education [29] | About APOD [30] | Discuss [31] | > [32] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [33] (MTU [34] ) & Jerry Bonnell [35]
(UMCP [36] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [37] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [38]
A service of: ASD [39] at NASA [40] / GSFC [41]
& Michigan Tech. U. [42]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/PlutoPits_NewHorizons_1480.jpg
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/
[4] http://www.jhuapl.edu/
[5] http://www.swri.edu/
[6] http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20151
[7] https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/overview/index.html
[8]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ List_of_possible_dwarf_planets#Likeliest_dwarf_planets
[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FReIs6rQbPM
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_Planum
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombaugh_Regio
[12] https://www.nasa.gov/nh/pluto-puzzling-patterns-and-pits
[13]
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/10/17/ pluto_fields_of_sublimation_pits.html
[14] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoH7sdCaa4g
[15] ap141021.html
[16] http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/
[17] http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20151105
[18] http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Images/index.php
[19] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAGwxl7FZWw
[20] ap150831.html
[21] ap151126.html
[22] ap151124.html
[23] archivepix.html
[24] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[25] lib/aptree.html
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[27] calendar/allyears.html
[28] /apod.rss
[29] lib/edlinks.html
[30] lib/about_apod.html
[31] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151125
[32] ap151126.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[35] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[36] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[37] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[39] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[42] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 26 - Planets of the Morning

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 26
[2]
Planets of the Morning
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Yuri Beletsky [4] (Carnegie [5] Las Campanas
Observatory [6] , TWAN [7] )

Explanation: Planet Earth's horizon stretches across this recent Solar System group portrait, seen from the southern hemisphere's Las Campanas Observatory. Taken before dawn it traces the ecliptic [8] with a line-up familiar to November's early morning risers. Toward the east are bright planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter as well as Regulus, alpha star of the constellation Leo. Of course [9] the planets are immersed in the faint glow of zodiacal light, visible from the dark site rising at an angle from the horizon. Sometimes
known as the false dawn, it's no accident [10] the zodiacal light and planets both lie along the ecliptic [11] . Formed in the flattened protoplanetary disk [12] , the Solar System's planet's all orbit near the ecliptic plane, while dust near the plane scatters sunlight, the source of the faint zodiacal glow [13] .

Tomorrow's picture: gravity's grin [14]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[20] | Education [21] | About APOD [22] | Discuss [23] | > [24] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [25] (MTU [26] ) & Jerry Bonnell [27]
(UMCP [28] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [29] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [30]
A service of: ASD [31] at NASA [32] / GSFC [33]
& Michigan Tech. U. [34]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/planet_zodiac_beletsky.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.twanight.org/beletsky
[5] http://carnegiescience.edu/
[6] http://www.lco.cl/
[7] http://www.twanight.org/
[8] image/1511/planet_zodiac_beletsky_labels.jpg
[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XQchueaE6k
[10] http://arxiv.org/abs/0909.4322
[11] http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-the-ecliptic
[12] http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/ discovering_planets_beyond/how-do-planets-form
[13] ap140911.html
[14] ap151127.html
[15] ap151125.html
[16] archivepix.html
[17] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[18] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[19] calendar/allyears.html
[20] /apod.rss
[21] lib/edlinks.html
[22] lib/about_apod.html
[23] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151126
[24] ap151127.html
[25] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[26] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[27] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[28] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[29] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[31] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/
[33] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[34] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 27 - Gravity's Grin

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 27
[2]
Gravity's Grin
Image Credit: X-ray - NASA / CXC [3] / J. Irwin et al. [4] ; Optical -
NASA/STScI [5]

Explanation: Albert Einstein's [6] general theory of relativity, published 100 years ago this month, predicted the phenomenon of gravitational lensing. And that's what gives these distant galaxies such a whimsical appearance, seen through the looking glass [7] of X-ray and optical image data from the
Chandra and Hubble space telescopes. Nicknamed the Cheshire Cat galaxy group, the group's two large elliptical galaxies are suggestively framed by arcs. The arcs are optical images [8] of distant background galaxies lensed by the foreground group's total distribution of gravitational mass dominated by dark matter. In fact the two large elliptical "eye" galaxies represent the
brightest members of their own galaxy groups which are merging. Their relative collisional speed of nearly 1,350 kilometers/second heats gas to millions of degrees producing the X-ray glow shown in purple hues. Curiouser [9] about galaxy group mergers? The Cheshire Cat group grins [10] in the constellation Ursa Major, some 4.6 billion light-years away.

Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend [11]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [12] | Archive [13] | Submissions [14] | Search [15] | Calendar [16] | RSS
[17] | Education [18] | About APOD [19] | Discuss [20] | > [21] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
(UMCP [25] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [27]
A service of: ASD [28] at NASA [29] / GSFC [30]
& Michigan Tech. U. [31]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/cheshirecat_chandra_complg.jpg
[3] http://chandra.harvard.edu/
[4] http://arxiv.org/abs/1505.05501
[5] http://www.stsci.edu/
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ List_of_scientific_publications_by_Albert_Einstein
[7] http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2015/cheshirecat/
[8] ap111221.html
[9] http://arxiv.org/abs/1505.05501
[10] http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11/11-h/11-h.htm
[11] ap151128.html
[12] ap151126.html
[13] archivepix.html
[14] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[15] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[16] calendar/allyears.html
[17] /apod.rss
[18] lib/edlinks.html
[19] lib/about_apod.html
[20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151127
[21] ap151128.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[27] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[28] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[31] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 28 - Rosetta and Comet Outbound

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 28
[2]
Rosetta and Comet Outbound
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Damian Peach [4] / SEN [5]

Explanation: Not a bright comet [6] , 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko now sweeps slowly through planet Earth's predawn skies near the line-up of planets along the ecliptic [7] . Still, this composite of telescopic images follows the comet's progress as it moves away from the Sun beyond the orbit of Mars [8] , from late September (left) through late November (far right). Its faint but extensive coma and tails [9] are viewed against the colorful background of stars near the eastern edge of the constellation Leo. A year ago, before its perihelion passage, the comet was [10] less active, though. Then the Rosetta [11] mission's lander Philae made it's historic landing, touching down on the surface [12] of the comet's nucleus.

Tomorrow's picture: not martian trees [13]

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[19] | Education [20] | About APOD [21] | Discuss [22] | > [23] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [24] (MTU [25] ) & Jerry Bonnell [26]
(UMCP [27] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [28] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [29]
A service of: ASD [30] at NASA [31] / GSFC [32]
& Michigan Tech. U. [33]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/67p_sepnov_dp.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.damianpeach.com/
[5] http://sen.com/
[6] http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/
[7] ap151126.html
[8] http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/ sbdb.cgi?sstr=67p;old=0;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb
[9] http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/comets
[10] ap151118.html
[11] http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/
[12] http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/ Rosetta_and_Philae_one_year_since_landing_on_a_comet
[13] ap151129.html
[14] ap151127.html
[15] archivepix.html
[16] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[17] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[18] calendar/allyears.html
[19] /apod.rss
[20] lib/edlinks.html
[21] lib/about_apod.html
[22] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151128
[23] ap151129.html
[24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[25] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[27] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[28] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[30] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[33] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 29 - Dark Sand Cascades on Mars

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 29
[2]
Dark Sand Cascades on Mars
Image Credit: HiRISE [3] , MRO [4] , LPL (U. Arizona) [5] , NASA [6]

Explanation: They might look like trees on Mars, but they're not. Groups of dark brown streaks have been photographed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter [7] on melting pinkish sand dunes covered with light frost. The above image [8] was taken in 2008 April near the North Pole [9] of Mars. At that time, dark sand [10] on the interior of Martian sand dunes [11] became more and
more visible as the spring Sun [12] melted the lighter carbon dioxide ice
[13] . When occurring near the top of a dune, dark sand may cascade [14] down the dune leaving dark surface streaks [15] -- streaks that might appear at first to be tree [16] s standing in front of the lighter regions, but cast no shadows. Objects about 25 centimeters across are resolved on this image [17] spanning about one kilometer. Close ups [18] of some parts of this image show billowing plume [19] s indicating that the sand slides [20] were occurring even while the image was being taken.

Tomorrow's picture: swirling galaxy [21]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [22] | Archive [23] | Submissions [24] | Index [25] | Search [26] | Calendar
[27] | RSS [28] | Education [29] | About APOD [30] | Discuss [31] | > [32] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [33] (MTU [34] ) & Jerry Bonnell [35]
(UMCP [36] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [37] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [38]
A service of: ASD [39] at NASA [40] / GSFC [41]
& Michigan Tech. U. [42]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/almosttrees_mro_2560.jpg
[3] http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/
[4] http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/
[5] http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/
[6] http://www.nasa.gov/
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter
[8] http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_007962_2635
[9] ap021224.html
[10] ap060823.html
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_dune
[12] http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/mars/calendar.html
[13] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76CNkxizQuc
[14] ap070805.html
[15]
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/01/11/ another-dose-of-martian-awesome/
[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuselah_(tree)
[17] http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_007962_2635
[18] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kipJrUdarKU
[19] ap080311.html
[20] http://www.nasa.gov/content/martian-sand-dunes-in-spring
[21] ap151130.html
[22] ap151128.html
[23] archivepix.html
[24] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[25] lib/aptree.html
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[27] calendar/allyears.html
[28] /apod.rss
[29] lib/edlinks.html
[30] lib/about_apod.html
[31] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151129
[32] ap151130.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[35] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[36] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[37] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[39] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[42] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 November 30 - In the Center of Spiral Galaxy NGC 3521

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 November 30
[2]
In the Center of Spiral Galaxy NGC 3521
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble [3] & NASA [4] and S. Smartt [5] (Queen's
University Belfast [6] ); Acknowledgement: Robert Gendler [7]

Explanation: This huge swirling mass of stars, gas, and dust occurs near the center of a nearby spiral galaxy. Gorgeous spiral NGC 3521 [8] is a mere 35 million light-years distant, toward the constellation Leo [9] . Spanning some 50,000 light-years [10] , its central region is shown in this dramatic image [11] , constructed from data from the Hubble Space Telescope [12] . The close-up view highlights this galaxy's characteristic [13] multiple, patchy, irregular spiral arms laced with dust [14] and clusters of young, blue stars. In contrast [15] , many other spirals exhibit grand, sweeping arms. A relatively bright galaxy in planet Earth's sky, NGC 3521 is [16] easily
visible in small telescopes, but often overlooked by amateur imagers in favor of other Leo spiral galaxies, like M65 and M66 [17] .

Date the Universe: APOD 2016 Wall Calendars [18]
Tomorrow's picture: stars without fire [19]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [20] | Archive [21] | Submissions [22] | Index [23] | Search [24] | Calendar
[25] | RSS [26] | Education [27] | About APOD [28] | Discuss [29] | > [30] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [31] (MTU [32] ) & Jerry Bonnell [33]
(UMCP [34] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [35] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [36]
A service of: ASD [37] at NASA [38] / GSFC [39]
& Michigan Tech. U. [40]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1511/ngc3521_hstGendler_1270.jpg
[3] https://www.spacetelescope.org/
[4] http://www.nasa.gov/
[5] http://star.pst.qub.ac.uk/~sjs/
[6] https://star.pst.qub.ac.uk/wiki/
[7] http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/
[8] ap110915.html
[9] http://www.universetoday.com/21173/leo/
[10]
https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/Numbers/Math/Mathematical_Thinking/ how_long_is_a_light_year.htm
[11] https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1538a/
[12] https://www.spacetelescope.org/about/
[13] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/ 1982MNRAS.201.1021E
[14]
https://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/august/ stardust-team-reports-discovery-of-first-potential-interstellar-space-particles
[15] ap101209.html
[16] http://www.astrosurf.com/antilhue/ngc3521.htm
[17] ap120615.html
[18] http://friendsofapod.org/?page_id=209
[19] ap151201.html
[20] ap151129.html
[21] archivepix.html
[22] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[23] lib/aptree.html
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[25] calendar/allyears.html
[26] /apod.rss
[27] lib/edlinks.html
[28] lib/about_apod.html
[29] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151130
[30] ap151201.html
[31] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[32] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[33] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[34] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[35] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[36] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[37] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[40] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 1 - Nebulae in Aurigae

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 1
[2]
Nebulae in Aurigae
Image Credit & Copyright: Fritz Helmut Hemmerich [3]

Explanation: Rich in star clusters and nebulae, the ancient constellation of the Charioteer [4] (Auriga [5] ) rides high in northern winter night skies. Composed from narrow and broadband filter data and spanning nearly 8 Full
Moons (4 degrees) on the sky, this deep telescopic view [6] shows off some of Auriga's celestial bounty. The field includes emission region IC 405 [7] (top left) about 1,500 light-years [8] distant. Also known as the Flaming Star Nebula [9] , its red, convoluted clouds of glowing hydrogen gas are energized by hot O-type [10] star AE Aurigae [11] . IC 410 [12] (top right) is significantly more distant, some 12,000 light-years away. The star [13]
forming region is famous for its embedded young star cluster, NGC 1893 [14] , and tadpole-shaped [15] clouds of dust and gas. IC 417 and NGC 1931 at the lower right, the Spider and the Fly [16] , are also young star clusters embedded in natal clouds that lie far beyond IC 405. Star cluster NGC 1907
[17] is near the bottom edge of the frame, just right of center. The crowded field of view looks along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy [18] , near the direction of the galactic anticenter [19] .

Astrophysicists: Browse 1,100+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library
[20]
Tomorrow's picture: open space [21]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [22] | Archive [23] | Submissions [24] | Index [25] | Search [26] | Calendar
[27] | RSS [28] | Education [29] | About APOD [30] | Discuss [31] | > [32] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [33] (MTU [34] ) & Jerry Bonnell [35]
(UMCP [36] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [37] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [38]
A service of: ASD [39] at NASA [40] / GSFC [41]
& Michigan Tech. U. [42]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/AEaurigae_Hemmerich_2732.jpg
[3] mailto: DrHemmerich @at@ gmail .dot. com
[4] http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/aur/index.html
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auriga_(constellation)
[6] https://www.flickr.com/photos/fhhemmerich/22732471299/in/dateposted-public/
[7] ap151110.html
[8] http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html
[9] ap110311.html
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-type_main-sequence_star
[11] ap130107.html
[12] ap141118.html
[13] http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve/
[14] ap060815.html
[15] ap110416.html
[16] ap100113.html
[17] http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0205100
[18] http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galchart.html
[19] http://urbanastronomer.blogspot.com/2012/02/ auriga-and-capella-galactic-anticenter.html
[20] http://ascl.net/code/all/order/date/dir/desc/listmode/full
[21] ap151202.html
[22] ap151130.html
[23] archivepix.html
[24] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[25] lib/aptree.html
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[27] calendar/allyears.html
[28] /apod.rss
[29] lib/edlinks.html
[30] lib/about_apod.html
[31] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151201
[32] ap151202.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[35] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[36] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[37] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[39] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[42] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 2 - Golden Gate Sunset: Green Flash

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 2
Golden Gate Sunset: Green Flash
Video Credit & Copyright: Alex [2] Rivest [3] ; Music: Eureka [4] by
Huma-Huma [5]

Explanation: The setting is San Francisco Bay, the time is sunset, and the bridge is the Golden Gate [6] . What you are about to see [7] is an unexpected double sunset ending with a rare green flash [8] . Watch [9] closely -- in
the recorded time-lapse sequence, unusually warm air created by bridge traffic refracts sunlight toward the Earth, causing a superior image [10] of the top of the Sun to form. This image will disappear -- marking the first "sunset" -- only after the main image has dipped below the deck. All the while [11] ,
boats pass in the foreground, cars pass over the bridge, and clouds reflecting sunlight [12] drift by in the distance. The scene ends with Earth's turbulent atmosphere [13] itself creating a path that only higher-energy visible [14] sunlight can traverse, making the last glimpse of our home star appear to
flash green [15] .

Tomorrow's picture: open space [16]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [17] | Archive [18] | Submissions [19] | Index [20] | Search [21] | Calendar
[22] | RSS [23] | Education [24] | About APOD [25] | Discuss [26] | > [27] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [28] (MTU [29] ) & Jerry Bonnell [30]
(UMCP [31] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [32] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [33]
A service of: ASD [34] at NASA [35] / GSFC [36]
& Michigan Tech. U. [37]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] http://www.alexrivest.com/about/
[3] http://www.alexrivest.com/
[4] https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music
[5] http://www.huma-huma.com/
[6] http://goldengatebridge.org/research/facts.php
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iIR-vCXYOk
[8] ap150908.html
[9] https://vimeo.com/28972897
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirage#Superior_mirage
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rock_Park
[12] ap121218.html
[13] http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/troposphere/en/
[14] http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.html
[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_flash
[16] ap151203.html
[17] ap151201.html
[18] archivepix.html
[19] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[20] lib/aptree.html
[21] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[22] calendar/allyears.html
[23] /apod.rss
[24] lib/edlinks.html
[25] lib/about_apod.html
[26] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151202
[27] ap151203.html
[28] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[29] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[30] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[31] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[32] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[33] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[34] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[35] http://www.nasa.gov/
[36] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[37] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 3 - Enceladus: Ringside Water World

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 3
[2]
Enceladus: Ringside Water World
Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team [3] , SSI [4] , JPL [5] , ESA [6] , NASA
[7]

Explanation: Saturn's icy moon Enceladus poses above the gas giant's icy rings in this Cassini spacecraft image. The dramatic scene [8] was captured on July 29, while Cassini cruised just below the ring plane, its cameras looking back in a nearly sunward direction about 1 million kilometers from the moon's
bright crescent. At 500 kilometers in diameter, Enceladus is [9] a
surprisingly active moon though, its remarkable south polar geysers are
visible venting beyond a dark southern limb. In fact [10] , data collected during Cassini's flybys [11] and years of images have recently revealed the presence of a global ocean of liquid water [12] beneath this moon's icy
crust. Demonstrating the tantalizing [13] liquid layer's global extent, the careful analysis [14] indicates surface and core are not rigidly connected, with Enceladus rocking slightly back and forth in its orbit.

Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space [15]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [16] | Archive [17] | Submissions [18] | Search [19] | Calendar [20] | RSS
[21] | Education [22] | About APOD [23] | Discuss [24] | > [25] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [26] (MTU [27] ) & Jerry Bonnell [28]
(UMCP [29] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [30] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [31]
A service of: ASD [32] at NASA [33] / GSFC [34]
& Michigan Tech. U. [35]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/EnceladusRingsPIA18343.jpg
[3] http://ciclops.org/
[4] http://www.spacescience.org/
[5] http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
[6] http://www.esa.int/
[7] http://www.nasa.gov/
[8] http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/ index.cfm?imageId=5275
[9] http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/enceladus
[10] ap151021.html
[11] http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/flybys/
[12] http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4718
[13] ap140919.html
[14] http://arxiv.org/abs/1509.07555
[15] ap151204.html
[16] ap151202.html
[17] archivepix.html
[18] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[19] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[20] calendar/allyears.html
[21] /apod.rss
[22] lib/edlinks.html
[23] lib/about_apod.html
[24] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151203
[25] ap151204.html
[26] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[27] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[28] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[29] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[30] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[32] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[33] http://www.nasa.gov/
[34] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[35] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 4 - Cygnus: Bubble and Crescent

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 4
[2]
Cygnus: Bubble and Crescent
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Ivan Eder [4]

Explanation: These clouds of gas and dust drift through [5] rich star fields along the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy toward the high flying constellation Cygnus. Caught within the telescopic field of view [6] are the Soap Bubble
[7] (lower left) and the Crescent Nebula [8] (upper right). Both were formed at a final phase in the life of a star. Also known as NGC 6888, the Crescent was shaped as its bright, central massive Wolf-Rayet star [9] , WR 136, shed its outer envelope in a strong stellar wind. Burning through fuel at a prodigious rate, WR 136 is near the end of a short life [10] that should
finish in a spectacular supernova [11] explosion. recently discovered [12] Soap Bubble Nebula is likely a planetary nebula [13] , the final shroud of a lower mass, long-lived, sun-like star destined to become a slowly cooling
white dwarf. While both are some 5,000 light-years or so distant, the larger Crescent Nebula is around 25 light-years across.

Tomorrow's picture: exo-orrery [14]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[20] | Education [21] | About APOD [22] | Discuss [23] | > [24] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [25] (MTU [26] ) & Jerry Bonnell [27]
(UMCP [28] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [29] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [30]
A service of: ASD [31] at NASA [32] / GSFC [33]
& Michigan Tech. U. [34]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/ngc6888_soap_eder_m.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.astroeder.com/
[5] ap150819.html
[6] http://www.astroeder.com/ngc6888_bub_eder_en.html
[7] ap150113.html
[8] ap120816.html
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf%E2%80%93Rayet_star
[10] https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/ hubble-view-wolf-rayet-stars-intense-and-short-lived
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Wolf%E2%80%93Rayet_star#Supernovae
[12] http://www.starimager.com/Image%20Gallery%20Pages/ Hydrogen%20Alpha%20Images/ic%201318_AP_8%20pane%20mosaic_bubble%20nebula.htm
[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula
[14] ap151205.html
[15] ap151203.html
[16] archivepix.html
[17] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[18] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[19] calendar/allyears.html
[20] /apod.rss
[21] lib/edlinks.html
[22] lib/about_apod.html
[23] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151204
[24] ap151205.html
[25] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[26] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[27] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[28] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[29] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[31] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/
[33] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[34] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 5 - Kepler Orrery IV

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 5
Kepler Orrery IV
Video Credit & Copyright [2] : Ethan Kruse [3] (University of Washington)

Explanation: The exoplanet hunting Kepler [4] mission's total for candidate
and confirmed [5] multiple planet systems stands at 1,705 worlds in orbit around 685 distant stars. Put all of those [6] exoplanet orbits on the same scale and follow [7] their relative orbital motions to get Kepler Orrery IV
[8] . To make the planets visible, their sizes aren't shown to scale. But orbits of the planets in the Solar System [9] (dashed lines) are included to scale in the hypnotic video. Of course, Kepler uses planetary transits to detect exoplanets [10] , looking for a slight dimming of light as the planet crosses in front of its star. In the time compressed video, Kepler's multiplanet system orbits are all oriented to put observed transits at the three o'clock position. The dervish-like movements highlight a stark contrast between most Kepler-discovered exoplanetary systems and our own. Planning [11] an interstellar vacation? Be sure to check the scale at the upper left first. The color code indicates a planet's estimated equilibrium surface temperature based on its orbit size and parent star [12] .

Tomorrow's picture: dark space [13]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[19] | Education [20] | About APOD [21] | Discuss [22] | > [23] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [24] (MTU [25] ) & Jerry Bonnell [26]
(UMCP [27] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [28] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [29]
A service of: ASD [30] at NASA [31] / GSFC [32]
& Michigan Tech. U. [33]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[3] http://staff.washington.edu/eakruse/
[4] http://kepler.nasa.gov/
[5] http://arxiv.org/abs/1402.6534
[6] https://github.com/ethankruse/kepler_orrery
[7] http://www.arm.ac.uk/orrery/
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DnDeBa0KFc
[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR3Igc3Rhfg
[10] http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/ exoplanet-exploration/
[11] ap140303.html
[12] ap110329.html
[13] ap151206.html
[14] ap151204.html
[15] archivepix.html
[16] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[17] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[18] calendar/allyears.html
[19] /apod.rss
[20] lib/edlinks.html
[21] lib/about_apod.html
[22] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151205
[23] ap151206.html
[24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[25] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[27] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[28] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[30] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[33] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 6 - A Force from Empty Space: The Casimir Effect

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 6
[2]
A Force from Empty Space: The Casimir Effect
Image Credit & Copyright: Umar Mohideen [3] (U. California at Riverside [4] )

Explanation: This tiny ball provides evidence that the universe will expand forever. Measuring slightly over one tenth of a millimeter, the ball moves toward a smooth plate in response to energy fluctuations [5] in the vacuum of empty space. The attraction is known as the Casimir Effect [6] , named for its discoverer [7] , who, 55 years ago, was trying to understand why fluids like mayonnaise [8] move so slowly. Today, evidence indicates [9] that most of
the energy density in the universe [10] is in an unknown form dubbed dark energy [11] . The form and genesis of dark energy [12] is almost completely unknown, but postulated as related to vacuum fluctuations [13] similar to the Casimir Effect [14] but generated somehow by space itself [15] . This vast
and mysterious dark energy [16] appears to gravitationally repel all matter
and hence will likely cause the universe to expand forever. Understanding vacuum energy [17] is on the forefront of research not only to better understand our universe [18] but also for stopping micro-mechanical machine parts from sticking together [19] .

Tomorrow's picture: emerging comet [20]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [21] | Archive [22] | Submissions [23] | Index [24] | Search [25] | Calendar
[26] | RSS [27] | Education [28] | About APOD [29] | Discuss [30] | > [31] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [32] (MTU [33] ) & Jerry Bonnell [34]
(UMCP [35] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [36] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [37]
A service of: ASD [38] at NASA [39] / GSFC [40]
& Michigan Tech. U. [41]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/casimirsphere_mohideen_960.jpg
[3] http://www.physics.ucr.edu/people/faculty/mohideen.html
[4] http://physics.ucr.edu/
[5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj8X7VRoxGs
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hendrik_Casimir
[8] http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/question617.htm
[9] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/debate/debate98.html
[10] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008AmJPh..76..265N
[11] http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/dark-energy.html
[12] http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9811454
[13] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_vacuum
[14] http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Quantum/casimir.html
[15] ap011202.html
[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy
[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_energy
[18] ap040711.html
[19] http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0008051
[20] ap151207.html
[21] ap151205.html
[22] archivepix.html
[23] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[24] lib/aptree.html
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[26] calendar/allyears.html
[27] /apod.rss
[28] lib/edlinks.html
[29] lib/about_apod.html
[30] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151206
[31] ap151207.html
[32] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[34] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[35] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[36] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[37] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[38] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[41] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 7 - Comet Catalina Emerges

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 7
[2]
Comet Catalina Emerges
Image Credit & Copyright: Fritz Helmut Hemmerich [3]

Explanation: Comet Catalina is ready for its close-up. The giant snowball from the outer Solar System, known formally as C/2013 US10 (Catalina) [4] , rounded the Sun last month and is now headed for [5] its closest approach to Earth in January. With the glow of the Moon now also out of the way, morning observers [6] in Earth's northern hemisphere are getting their best ever view of the
new comet. And Comet Catalina [7] is not disappointing [8] . Although not as bright as early predictions [9] , the comet is sporting both dust [10] (lower left) and ion [11] (upper right) tails [12] , making it an impressive object for binoculars and long-exposure cameras. The featured image [13] was taken last week from the Canary Islands [14] , off the northwest coast of Africa
[15] . Sky enthusiasts around the world will surely be tracking the comet [16]
over the next few months to see how it evolves.

Follow APOD on: Facebook [17] , Google Plus [18] , or Twitter [19]
Tomorrow's picture: a legendary aurora [20]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [21] | Archive [22] | Submissions [23] | Index [24] | Search [25] | Calendar
[26] | RSS [27] | Education [28] | About APOD [29] | Discuss [30] | > [31] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [32] (MTU [33] ) & Jerry Bonnell [34]
(UMCP [35] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [36] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [37]
A service of: ASD [38] at NASA [39] / GSFC [40]
& Michigan Tech. U. [41]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/CometCatalina_Hemmerich_1821.jpg
[3] mailto: DrHemmerich @at@ gmail .dot. com
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2013_US10
[5] http://scully.cfa.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/returnprepeph.cgi?d=c&o=CK13U10S
[6] http://cdn.attackofthecute.com/August-10-2012-01-36-49-lksjdlkfjd.jpg
[7] ap150818.html
[8] http://spaceweathergallery.com/comet_gallery.html
[9] http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2013US10/2013US10.html
[10] ap130526.html
[11] ap150121.html
[12] ap131124.html
[13] https://www.flickr.com/photos/fhhemmerich/23365590472/in/dateposted-public/
[14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Islands
[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa
[16]
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/ get-a-predawn-peek-of-comet-catalina-120320155/
[17] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[18] https://plus.google.com/u/1/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[19] http://twitter.com/apod/
[20] ap151208.html
[21] ap151206.html
[22] archivepix.html
[23] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[24] lib/aptree.html
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[26] calendar/allyears.html
[27] /apod.rss
[28] lib/edlinks.html
[29] lib/about_apod.html
[30] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151207
[31] ap151208.html
[32] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[34] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[35] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[36] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[37] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[38] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[41] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 8 - Icelandic Legends and Aurora

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 8
[2]
Icelandic Legends and Aurora
Image Credit & Copyright: Elizabeth M. Ryan [3] ; Rollover Annotation: Judy
Schmidt [4]

Explanation: Legends collide in this dramatic vista of land, sea, and sky. The land is Iceland, specifically V0k 0 M2rdal [5] , a southern village known for its beautiful black sand beaches [6] . The sea, the Atlantic Ocean [7] , surrounds Reynisdrangar [8] , a sea stack of eroded basaltic rock pillars [9] that Icelandic folklore [10] tells are the petrified remains of trolls [11] once attempting to drag a three-masted ship [12] onto land. Watching [13]
from overhead and shining bright on the upper right is the god of the sky [14] , according to Greek mythology [15] : the planet Jupiter [16] . Also visible
in the sky are several other Greek legends encapsulated as constellations [17] , including a lion (Leo [18] ), a big bear (Ursa Major [19] ), and a water snake (Hydra [20] ). One might guess that all of this commotion caused the spectacular [21] aurora [22] pictured -- but really it was just explosions from the Sun [23] .

Display the Universe: APOD 2016 Wall Calendars [24]
Tomorrow's picture: galaxies dance [25]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [26] | Archive [27] | Submissions [28] | Index [29] | Search [30] | Calendar
[31] | RSS [32] | Education [33] | About APOD [34] | Discuss [35] | > [36] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [37] (MTU [38] ) & Jerry Bonnell [39]
(UMCP [40] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [41] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [42]
A service of: ASD [43] at NASA [44] / GSFC [45]
& Michigan Tech. U. [46]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/AuroraIceland_Ryan_2000.jpg
[3] mailto: TimothyjR @at@ aol .dot. com
[4] http://geckzilla.com/
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%ADk_%C3%AD_M%C3%BDrdal
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lrc9lHUYvI
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynisdrangar
[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZphtursVKH0
[10] https://www.icelandtravel.is/about-iceland/culture/folklore/
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll
[12]
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:StateLibQld_1_141727_Drawing_of_the_ship_Pass_of_Leny_as_a_three_masted_ square_rigged_sailing_ship.jpg
[13]
http://revelwallpapers.net/d/ 30364B4E69484334763644636B485A377749426F7A74376A7639706569673D3D/ gray-striped-cat-curiosity.jpg
[14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_(mythology)
[15] http://www.greekmythology.com/
[16] ap140517.html
[17] http://modernconstellations.com/constellationhistory.html
[18] http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/leo/
[19] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursa_Major
[20] http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/hydra.htm
[21] ap141103.html
[22] ap110517.html
[23] http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/how-the-sun-causes-an-aurora
[24] http://friendsofapod.org/?page_id=209
[25] ap151209.html
[26] ap151207.html
[27] archivepix.html
[28] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[29] lib/aptree.html
[30] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[31] calendar/allyears.html
[32] /apod.rss
[33] lib/edlinks.html
[34] lib/about_apod.html
[35] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151208
[36] ap151209.html
[37] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[38] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[39] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[40] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[41] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[42] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[43] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[44] http://www.nasa.gov/
[45] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[46] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 9 - Arp 87: Merging Galaxies from Hubble

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 9
[2]
Arp 87: Merging Galaxies from Hubble
Image Credit: NASA [3] , ESA [4] , Hubble Space Telescope [5] ; Processing:
Douglas Gardner [6]

Explanation: This dance is to the death. Along the way, as these two large galaxies duel, a cosmic bridge [7] of stars, gas, and dust currently
stretches over 75,000 light-years [8] and joins them. The bridge itself is strong evidence that these two immense star systems have passed close [9] to each other and experienced violent tides induced by mutual gravity [10] . As further evidence, the face-on spiral galaxy on the right, also known as NGC 3808A, exhibits many young blue star clusters produced in a burst of star formation. The twisted edge-on spiral on the left (NGC 3808B) seems to be wrapped in the material bridging the galaxies [11] and surrounded by a
curious polar ring [12] . Together, the system is known as Arp 87 [13] and morphologically classified, technically, as peculiar [14] . While such interactions are drawn out over billions of years, repeated close passages
[15] should ultimately result in the death of one galaxy in the sense that
only one galaxy will eventually result. Although this scenario [16] does look peculiar, galactic mergers are thought to be common, with Arp 87 representing
a stage in this inevitable process [17] . The Arp 87 pair are about 300
million light-years [18] distant toward the constellation Leo. The prominent edge-on spiral at the far left appears to be a more distant background galaxy and not involved in the on-going merger.

Tomorrow's picture: cytherean [19]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [20] | Archive [21] | Submissions [22] | Index [23] | Search [24] | Calendar
[25] | RSS [26] | Education [27] | About APOD [28] | Discuss [29] | > [30] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [31] (MTU [32] ) & Jerry Bonnell [33]
(UMCP [34] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [35] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [36]
A service of: ASD [37] at NASA [38] / GSFC [39]
& Michigan Tech. U. [40]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/Arp87_Gardner_2770.jpg
[3] http://nasa.gov/
[4] http://esa.int/
[5] http://hla.stsci.edu/
[6] mailto: douggardner @at@ comcast .dot. net
[7] ap140715.html
[8] http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html
[9] ap130514.html
[10] http://burro.cwru.edu/JavaLab/GalCrashWeb/main.html
[11] ap061111.html
[12] ap141108.html
[13] http://heritage.stsci.edu/2007/36/index.html
[14] http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Arp/frames.html
[15] ap120717.html
[16] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1972ApJ...178..623T
[17] http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~jhibbard/MergeSeq/mergeseq.html
[18] http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2007/36/ fastfacts/
[19] ap151210.html
[20] ap151208.html
[21] archivepix.html
[22] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[23] lib/aptree.html
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[25] calendar/allyears.html
[26] /apod.rss
[27] lib/edlinks.html
[28] lib/about_apod.html
[29] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151209
[30] ap151210.html
[31] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[32] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[33] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[34] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[35] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[36] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[37] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[40] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 10 - Daytime Moon Meets Morning Star

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 10
[2]
Daytime Moon Meets Morning Star
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Phillip A Cruden [4]

Explanation: Venus now [5] appears as Earth's brilliant morning star, standing in a line-up of planets [6] above the southeastern horizon before dawn. For most, the silvery celestial beacon rose predawn in a close pairing with an old crescent Moon on Monday, December 7. But also widely seen from locations [7]
in North and Central America, the lunar crescent actually occulted [8] or passed in front of Venus during Monday's daylight hours. This time series follows the daytime approach of Moon and morning star in clear blue skies from Phoenix, Arizona. The progression of nine sharp telescopic snapshots [9] ,
made between 9:30am and 9:35am local time, runs from lower left to upper
right, when Venus winked out behind the bright lunar limb [10] .

Tomorrow's picture: in the dark [11]

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[17] | Education [18] | About APOD [19] | Discuss [20] | > [21] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
(UMCP [25] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [27]
A service of: ASD [28] at NASA [29] / GSFC [30]
& Michigan Tech. U. [31]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/MoonVenus_Occultation2_Small.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.billionplanetsquest.com/
[5] http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/ venus-from-the-international-space-station
[6] ap151126.html
[7] http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/planets/ 1207venus.htm
[8] http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ moon-flys-by-catalina-occults-venus-on-dec-7th120220150212/
[9] http://www.billionplanetsquest.com/p/ capernicus-crater-with-scp900nc-philips.html
[10] ap081206.html
[11] ap151211.html
[12] ap151209.html
[13] archivepix.html
[14] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[15] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[16] calendar/allyears.html
[17] /apod.rss
[18] lib/edlinks.html
[19] lib/about_apod.html
[20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151210
[21] ap151211.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[27] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[28] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[31] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 11 - The Brightest Spot on Ceres

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 11
[2]
The Brightest Spot on Ceres
Image Credit: NASA [3] , JPL-Caltech [4] , UCLA [5] , MPS/DLR/IDA

Explanation: Dwarf planet Ceres [6] is the largest object in the Solar
System's main asteroid belt with a diameter of about 950 kilometers. Exploring Ceres from orbit [7] since March, the Dawn spacecraft's camera has revealed about 130 or so [8] mysterious bright spots, mostly associated with impact craters scattered around the small world's otherwise dark surface. The brightest one [9] is near the center of the 90 kilometer wide Occator Crater, seen in this dramatic false color view [10] combining near-infrared and visible light image data. A study now finds the bright spot's [11] reflected light properties are probably most consistent with a type of magnesium sulfate called hexahydrite. Of course, magnesium sulfate is also known to Earth dwellers as epsom salt. Haze reported inside Occator also suggests the salty material could be left over as a mix of salt and water-ice sublimates [12] on the surface. Since impacts would have exposed the material, Ceres' numerous
and widely scattered bright spots may indicate the presence of a subsurface shell of ice-salt mix. In mid-December, Dawn will begin [13] taking observations from its closest Ceres mapping orbit.

Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend [14]

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[20] | Education [21] | About APOD [22] | Discuss [23] | > [24] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [25] (MTU [26] ) & Jerry Bonnell [27]
(UMCP [28] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [29] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [30]
A service of: ASD [31] at NASA [32] / GSFC [33]
& Michigan Tech. U. [34]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/PIA20180CeresOccator.jpg
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/
[4] http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
[5] http://dawn.igpp.ucla.edu/
[6] http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/ceres
[7] http://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/dawn/ new-clues-to-ceres-bright-spots-and-origins
[8] http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20183
[9] ap150916.html
[10] http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20180
[11] http://www.nature.com/news/ mysterious-bright-spots-on-ceres-are-probably-salt-1.18980
[12] ap130907.html
[13] http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/dawn/
[14] ap151212.html
[15] ap151210.html
[16] archivepix.html
[17] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[18] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[19] calendar/allyears.html
[20] /apod.rss
[21] lib/edlinks.html
[22] lib/about_apod.html
[23] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151211
[24] ap151212.html
[25] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[26] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[27] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[28] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[29] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[31] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/
[33] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[34] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 12 - Comet Meets Moon and Morning Star

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 12
[2]
Comet Meets Moon and Morning Star
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Greg Hogan [4]

Explanation: A crescent Moon [5] and brilliant Venus met in predawn skies on December 7, a beautiful conjunction [6] of planet Earth's two brightest celestial beacons after the Sun. Harder to see but also on the scene [7] was Comet Catalina (C/2013 US10 [8] ). The fainter comet clearly sporting two
tails [9] , lunar night side, bright sunlit lunar crescent, and brilliant morning star, are all recorded here by combining short and long exposures of the same field of view. Pointing down and right, Catalina's dust tail tends to trail behind the comet's orbit. Its ion tail, angled toward [10] the top left of the frame, is blowing away from the Sun. Discovered in 2013, the new
visitor from the Oort cloud [11] was closest to the Sun on November 15 and is now outbound, headed for its closest approach to Earth in mid-January.

Watch: The Geminids [12]
Tomorrow's picture: radiant meteor shower [13]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [14] | Archive [15] | Submissions [16] | Search [17] | Calendar [18] | RSS
[19] | Education [20] | About APOD [21] | Discuss [22] | > [23] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [24] (MTU [25] ) & Jerry Bonnell [26]
(UMCP [27] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [28] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [29]
A service of: ASD [30] at NASA [31] / GSFC [32]
& Michigan Tech. U. [33]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/FINAL_CATALINA_SM_WM.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] https://twitter.com/gregoryhogan
[5] http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004400/a004404/
[6] ap151209.html
[7] http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/ observing-news/get-a-predawn-peek-of-comet-catalina-120320155/
[8] http://theskylive.com/c2013us10-info
[9] ap151207.html
[10] http://surftitan.blogspot.com.es/2015/12/ anatomia-del-cometa-catalina-c2013-us10.html
[11] http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/oort
[12] https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/2015/12/09/ join-nasas-geminid-meteor-shower-tweet-chat-on-december-13-14/
[13] ap151213.html
[14] ap151211.html
[15] archivepix.html
[16] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[17] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[18] calendar/allyears.html
[19] /apod.rss
[20] lib/edlinks.html
[21] lib/about_apod.html
[22] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151212
[23] ap151213.html
[24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[25] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[27] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[28] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[30] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[33] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 13 - When Gemini Sends Stars to Paranal

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 13
[2]
When Gemini Sends Stars to Paranal
Image Credit & Copyright: Stephane Guisard [3] (Los Cielos de America [4] ),
TWAN [5]

Explanation: From a radiant point in the constellation of the Twins, the
annual Geminid meteor shower [6] rain down on planet Earth. Tonight, the Geminds [7] reach their peak and could be quite spectacular. The featured blended image [8] , however, captured the shower [9] 's impressive peak in the year 2012. The beautiful skyscape collected [10] Gemini's lovely shooting stars in a careful composite of 30 exposures, each 20 seconds long, from the dark of the Chilean Atacama Desert [11] over ESO [12] 's Paranal Observatory [13] . In the foreground Paranal's four Very Large Telescopes [14] , four Auxillary Telescopes [15] , and the VLT Survey telescope [16] are all open and observing. The skies above are shared with bright Jupiter (left), Orion, (top left), and the faint light of the Milky Way [17] . Dust swept up from the
orbit of active asteroid [18] 3200 Phaethon [19] , Gemini's meteors enter Earth's atmosphere [20] traveling at about 22 kilometers per second.

Tonight: Join NASA's Geminids Tweet Chat [21]
Tomorrow's picture: open space [22]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [23] | Archive [24] | Submissions [25] | Index [26] | Search [27] | Calendar
[28] | RSS [29] | Education [30] | About APOD [31] | Discuss [32] | > [33] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [34] (MTU [35] ) & Jerry Bonnell [36]
(UMCP [37] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [38] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [39]
A service of: ASD [40] at NASA [41] / GSFC [42]
& Michigan Tech. U. [43]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/ParanalGeminids_Guisard_1200.jpg
[3] http://www.twanight.org/guisard
[4] http://www.astrosurf.com/sguisard/
[5] http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/index.asp
[6] http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=30347&p=189419
[7] http://earthsky.org/space/everything-you-need-to-know-geminid-meteor-shower
[8] http://sguisard.astrosurf.com/Pagim/Paranal-Geminids.html
[9]
https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/2015/12/07/ five-fun-facts-for-the-2015-geminid-meteor-shower/
[10] http://www.astrosurf.com/sguisard/Pagim/Paranal-Geminids.html
[11] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDnvqZyx0Wc
[12] http://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/
[13] ap110811.html
[14] ap111228.html
[15] ap120421.html
[16] ap110630.html
[17] http://stars.chromeexperiments.com/
[18] http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.5220
[19] http://arxiv.org/abs/1009.2710
[20] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/atmosphere-layers2.html
[21]
https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/2015/12/09/ join-nasas-geminid-meteor-shower-tweet-chat-on-december-13-14/
[22] ap151214.html
[23] ap151212.html
[24] archivepix.html
[25] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[26] lib/aptree.html
[27] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[28] calendar/allyears.html
[29] /apod.rss
[30] lib/edlinks.html
[31] lib/about_apod.html
[32] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151213
[33] ap151214.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[35] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[36] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[37] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[38] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[40] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/
[42] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[43] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 14 - Pluto: From Mountains to Plains

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 14
[2]
Pluto: From Mountains to Plains
Image Credit: NASA [3] , Johns Hopkins U. APL [4] , SwRI [5]

Explanation: What do the sharpest views ever of Pluto show? As the robotic New Horizons spacecraft moves into the outer Solar System [6] , it is now sending back some of the highest resolution images from its historic encounter with Pluto [7] in July. Featured here [8] is one recently-received, high-resolution image. On the left is al-Idrisi Montes [9] , mountainous highlands thought composed primarily of blocks of solid nitrogen [10] . A
sharp transitional shoreline leads to the ice plains, on the right, that compose part of the heart-shaped feature [11] known as Sputnik Planum [12] . Why the plains are textured with ice pits [13] and segmented is currently unknown. The image [14] was taken about 15 minutes before closest approach and shows an area about 30 kilometers across. The New Horizons [15] spacecraft is next scheduled to fly past Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU 69 [16] on New Year's
Day 2019.

AAS Members: How does APOD help you? [17]
Tomorrow's picture: open space [18]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [19] | Archive [20] | Submissions [21] | Index [22] | Search [23] | Calendar
[24] | RSS [25] | Education [26] | About APOD [27] | Discuss [28] | > [29] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [30] (MTU [31] ) & Jerry Bonnell [32]
(UMCP [33] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [34] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [35]
A service of: ASD [36] at NASA [37] / GSFC [38]
& Michigan Tech. U. [39]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/PlutoCloseUp_NewHorizons_3600.jpg
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/
[4] http://www.jhuapl.edu/
[5] http://www.swri.edu/
[6] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/
[7] http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/ nasa-knows/what-is-pluto-k4.html
[8] http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20213
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_Planum#/media/ File:Sputnik-Planum-Annotated.jpg
[10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FReIs6rQbPM
[11] ap150831.html
[12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_Planum
[13] ap151125.html
[14] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0xkupKwjfM
[15] https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/ index.html
[16] http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/ News-Article.php?page=20150828
[17] http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35459
[18] ap151215.html
[19] ap151213.html
[20] archivepix.html
[21] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[22] lib/aptree.html
[23] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[24] calendar/allyears.html
[25] /apod.rss
[26] lib/edlinks.html
[27] lib/about_apod.html
[28] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151214
[29] ap151215.html
[30] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[31] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[32] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[33] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[34] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[35] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[36] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[37] http://www.nasa.gov/
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[39] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 15 - Colorful Arcs over Buenos Aires

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 15
[2]
Colorful Arcs over Buenos Aires
Image Credit & Copyright: Sergio Mont.far [3] ( Planetario Ciudad de La Plata
[4] , pna [5] )

Explanation: What are those colorful arcs in the sky? Like rainbows [6] that are caused by rain, arcs of sunlight broken up into component colors [7] can also result when ice crystals floating in Earth's atmosphere [8] act together as a gigantic prism [9] . The top color arc is more typical as it is part of the 22 degree halo [10] surrounding the Sun when hexagonal [11] ice crystals refract [12] sunlight between two of the six sides. More unusual, though, is the bottom color arc. Sometimes called a fire rainbow, this circumhorizon arc [13] is also created by ice, not fire nor even rain. Here, a series of horizontal, thin, flat ice crystals [14] in high cirrus [15] clouds refract [16] sunlight between the top and bottom faces toward the observer [17] . These arcs [18] only occur when the Sun is higher than 58 degrees [19] above the horizon. The featured sky occurred to the northwest in the early afternoon last month over a street Diagonal of La Plata [20] City, Buenos Aires [21] , Argentina [22] .

Follow APOD on: Facebook [23] , Google Plus [24] , or Twitter [25]
Tomorrow's picture: horse and flame [26]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [27] | Archive [28] | Submissions [29] | Index [30] | Search [31] | Calendar
[32] | RSS [33] | Education [34] | About APOD [35] | Discuss [36] | > [37] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [38] (MTU [39] ) & Jerry Bonnell [40]
(UMCP [41] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [42] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [43]
A service of: ASD [44] at NASA [45] / GSFC [46]
& Michigan Tech. U. [47]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/SolarArcs_Montufar_3792.jpg
[3] https://www.facebook.com/MilkyWayAddicted/info?tab=page_info
[4] https://www.facebook.com/PlanetarioLaPlata
[5] http://www.photonightscapeawards.com/contact/
[6] ap140930.html
[7] http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/spectra1.html
[8] https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/atmosphere.html
[9]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prism#/media/ File:Light_dispersion_conceptual_waves.gif
[10] http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/circ1.htm
[11] http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/platcol.htm
[12] http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2011/03/16/the-sky-must-be-smiling/crystals
[13] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumhorizon_arc
[14] http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/chaform.htm
[15] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Clouds/clouds3.php
[16] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/basics/bsf6-6.php
[17]
http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2012/1/21/21/ enhanced-buzz-18513-1327200118-49.jpg
[18]
http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/22/9186973/ heres-why-you-shouldnt-call-this-a-fire-rainbow
[19] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-gK5kLvVR0
[20] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Plata
[21] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buenos_Aires_Province
[22] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina
[23] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[24] https://plus.google.com/u/1/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[25] http://twitter.com/apod/
[26] ap151216.html
[27] ap151214.html
[28] archivepix.html
[29] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[30] lib/aptree.html
[31] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[32] calendar/allyears.html
[33] /apod.rss
[34] lib/edlinks.html
[35] lib/about_apod.html
[36] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151215
[37] ap151216.html
[38] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[39] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[40] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[41] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[42] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[43] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[44] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[45] http://www.nasa.gov/
[46] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[47] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 16 - The Horsehead Nebula

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 16
[2]
The Horsehead Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Joso Jimonez Priego [3]

Explanation: The Horsehead Nebula [4] is one of the most famous nebulae on
the sky. It is visible as the dark indentation to the red emission nebula [5] in the center of the above photograph. The horse-head [6] feature is dark because it is really an opaque dust [7] cloud that lies in front of the
bright red emission nebula [8] . Like clouds in Earth's atmosphere [9] , this cosmic cloud has assumed a recognizable shape [10] by chance. After many thousands of years, the internal motions of the cloud will surely alter its appearance. The emission nebula [11] 's red color is caused by electrons [12] recombining with protons [13] to form hydrogen [14] atoms. On the image left is the Flame Nebula [15] , an orange-tinged nebula that also contains
filaments of dark dust. Just to the lower left of the Horsehead nebula
featured picture [16] is a blueish reflection nebulae [17] that preferentially reflects the blue light [18] from nearby stars [19] .

Free APOD Lectures: Editor to Speak in January in Philadelphia [20] and New
York City [21]
Tomorrow's picture: southern geminids [22]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [23] | Archive [24] | Submissions [25] | Index [26] | Search [27] | Calendar
[28] | RSS [29] | Education [30] | About APOD [31] | Discuss [32] | > [33] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [34] (MTU [35] ) & Jerry Bonnell [36]
(UMCP [37] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [38] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [39]
A service of: ASD [40] at NASA [41] / GSFC [42]
& Michigan Tech. U. [43]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/HorseFlame_Priego_3252.jpg
[3] https://www.facebook.com/jose.jimenezjj
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsehead_nebula
[5] emission_nebulae.html
[6] ap140728.html
[7] ap030706.html
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emission_nebula
[9] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/atmosphere-layers2.html
[10] http://www.brucevanpatter.com/cloudshapes.html
[11] ap061015.html
[12] http://www.pbs.org/transistor/science/events/electron.html
[13] http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/particles/proton.html
[14] http://periodic.lanl.gov/1.shtml
[15] ap141209.html
[16] http://www.astrobin.com/216028/B/
[17] reflection_nebulae.html
[18] http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/en/
[19] ap010318.html
[20] http://www.rittenhouseastronomicalsociety.org/Pages/meetings.htm
[21] http://www.aaa.org/lectures/lecture-series-2015-2016/
[22] ap151217.html
[23] ap151215.html
[24] archivepix.html
[25] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[26] lib/aptree.html
[27] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[28] calendar/allyears.html
[29] /apod.rss
[30] lib/edlinks.html
[31] lib/about_apod.html
[32] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151216
[33] ap151217.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[35] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[36] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[37] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[38] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[40] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/
[42] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[43] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 17 - Geminids of the South

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 17
[2]
Geminids of the South
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Yuri Beletsky [4] (Carnegie [5] Las Campanas
Observatory [6] , TWAN [7] )

Explanation: Earth's annual [8] Geminid meteor shower did not disappoint, peaking before dawn on December 14 as our fair planet plowed through dust from active asteroid [9] 3200 Phaethon. Captured in this southern hemisphere [10] nightscape the meteors stream away from the shower's radiant [11] in Gemini. To create the image, many individual frames recording meteor streaks were
taken over period of 5 hours. In the final composite they were selected and registered against the starry sky above the twin 6.5 meter Magellan telescopes of Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Rigel in [12] Orion, and Sirius shine brightly as the Milky Way stretches toward the zenith. Near Castor and Pollux [13] the twin stars of Gemini, the meteor shower's radiant is low,
close to the horizon. The radiant effect is due to perspective as the parallel meteor tracks appear [14] to converge in the distance. Gemini's meteors enter Earth's atmosphere [15] traveling at about 22 kilometers per second.

Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space [16]

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[22] | Education [23] | About APOD [24] | Discuss [25] | > [26] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [27] (MTU [28] ) & Jerry Bonnell [29]
(UMCP [30] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [31] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [32]
A service of: ASD [33] at NASA [34] / GSFC [35]
& Michigan Tech. U. [36]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/geminids2015_beletsky.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.twanight.org/beletsky
[5] http://carnegiescience.edu/
[6] http://www.lco.cl/
[7] http://www.twanight.org/
[8] http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/ earthskys-meteor-shower-guide
[9] http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/ science-at-nasa/2010/06dec_geminids/
[10] ap100115.html
[11] ap070812.html
[12] image/1512/geminids2015_beletsky_labels.jpg
[13] http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/pollux.html
[14] http://globalcitizenblog.com/wp-content/uploads/globalcitizen/ railroad_tracks414.jpg
[15] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/ atmosphere-layers2.html
[16] ap151218.html
[17] ap151216.html
[18] archivepix.html
[19] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[20] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[21] calendar/allyears.html
[22] /apod.rss
[23] lib/edlinks.html
[24] lib/about_apod.html
[25] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151217
[26] ap151218.html
[27] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[28] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[29] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[30] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[31] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[33] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[34] http://www.nasa.gov/
[35] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[36] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 18 - Herbig Haro 24

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 18
[2]
Herbig-Haro 24
Image Credit: NASA [3] , ESA [4] , Hubble Heritage [5] (STScI [6] / AURA [7]
) / Hubble-Europe Collaboration
Acknowledgment: D. Padgett (GSFC [8] ), T. Megeath (University of Toledo), B.
Reipurth (University of Hawaii)

Explanation: This might look like [9] a double-bladed lightsaber, but these two cosmic jets actually beam outward from a newborn star in a galaxy near you [10] . Constructed from Hubble Space Telescope image data, the stunning scene spans about half a light-year across Herbig-Haro 24 (HH 24), some 1,300 light-years or 400 parsecs [11] away in the stellar nurseries [12] of the
Orion B molecular cloud complex. Hidden from direct view, HH 24's central protostar is surrounded by cold dust and gas flattened into a rotating accretion disk [13] . As material from the disk falls toward the young stellar object it heats up. Opposing jets are blasted out [14] along the system's rotation axis. Cutting through the region's interstellar matter, the narrow, energetic jets produce a series of glowing shock fronts along their path [15]
.

Tomorrow's picture: encounters with the Whale [16]

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[22] | Education [23] | About APOD [24] | Discuss [25] | > [26] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [27] (MTU [28] ) & Jerry Bonnell [29]
(UMCP [30] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [31] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [32]
A service of: ASD [33] at NASA [34] / GSFC [35]
& Michigan Tech. U. [36]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/hs-2015-42-a-fullHH24.jpg
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/
[4] http://www.spacetelescope.org/
[5] http://heritage.stsci.edu/
[6] http://www.stsci.edu/
[7] http://www.aura-astronomy.org/
[8] http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[9] ap120421.html
[10] http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2015/42/
[11] http://www.wired.com/2013/02/kessel-run-12-parsecs/
[12] ap131010.html
[13] http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2015/42/ image/b/
[14] ap140204.html
[15] http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2015/42/ video/b/
[16] ap151219.html
[17] ap151217.html
[18] archivepix.html
[19] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[20] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[21] calendar/allyears.html
[22] /apod.rss
[23] lib/edlinks.html
[24] lib/about_apod.html
[25] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151218
[26] ap151219.html
[27] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[28] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[29] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[30] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[31] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[33] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[34] http://www.nasa.gov/
[35] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[36] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 19 - Star Streams and the Whale Galaxy

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 19
[2]
Star Streams and the Whale Galaxy
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : R Jay Gabany [4] (Blackbird Observatory)
Collaboration: David Martinez-Delgado (University of Heidelberg), et al. [5]

Explanation: NGC 4631 is a spiral galaxy [6] found only 25 million
light-years away, toward the well-trained northern constellation Canes
Venatici [7] . Seen ege-on, the galaxy is similar in size to the Milky Way.
Its distorted wedge shape suggests to some a cosmic herring and to others its popular moniker, The Whale Galaxy. The large galaxy's small, remarkably bright elliptical companion NGC 4627 lies just above its dusty yellowish core, but also identifiable are recently discovered [8] , faint dwarf galaxies within
the halo of NGC 4631. In fact, the faint extended features below (and above) NGC 4631 are now recognized as tidal star streams. The star streams are remnants of a dwarf satellite galaxy disrupted by repeated encounters with the Whale [9] that began about 3.5 billion years ago. Even in nearby galaxies
[10] , the presence of tidal star streams is predicted by cosmological models of galaxy formation, including the formation of our own Milky Way [11] .

Tomorrow's picture: dark Earth, red sprite [12]

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[18] | Education [19] | About APOD [20] | Discuss [21] | > [22] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [23] (MTU [24] ) & Jerry Bonnell [25]
(UMCP [26] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [27] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [28]
A service of: ASD [29] at NASA [30] / GSFC [31]
& Michigan Tech. U. [32]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/gabanyNGC4631withSatStream.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.cosmotography.com/index.html
[5] http://arxiv.org/abs/1410.6368
[6] http://messier.seds.org/xtra/ngc/n4631.html
[7] http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/cvn/index.html
[8] http://arxiv.org/abs/1511.04446
[9] http://www.cosmotography.com/images/ small_new_ngc4631.html
[10] http://www.cosmotography.com/images/ galaxy_formation_and_evolution.html
[11] ap100125.html
[12] ap151220.html
[13] ap151218.html
[14] archivepix.html
[15] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[16] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[17] calendar/allyears.html
[18] /apod.rss
[19] lib/edlinks.html
[20] lib/about_apod.html
[21] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151219
[22] ap151220.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[26] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[27] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[28] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[29] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[32] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 20 - A Dark Earth with a Red Sprite

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 20
[2]
A Dark Earth with a Red Sprite
Image Credit: ISS, Expedition 31 Crew [3] , NASA [4]

Explanation: There is something very unusual in this picture of the Earth -- can you find it? A fleeting phenomenon once thought to be only a legend has been newly caught if you know just where to look. The featured image [5] was taken from the orbiting International Space Station [6] (ISS) in late April and shows familiar ISS [7] solar panels on the far left and part of a robotic arm to the far right. The rarely imaged [8] phenomenon is known as a red sprite [9] and it can be seen [10] , albeit faintly, just over the bright
area on the image right. This bright area and the red sprite [11] are
different types of lightning, with the white flash the more typical type. Although sprites [12] have been reported anecdotally [13] for as long as 300 years, they were first caught on film in 1989 -- by accident. Much remains unknown about sprites [14] including how they occur, their effect on the atmospheric global electric circuit [15] , and if they are somehow related to other upper atmospheric lightning [16] phenomena such as blue jets [17] or terrestrial gamma flashes [18] .

Free APOD Lectures: Editor to Speak in January in Philadelphia [19] and New
York City [20]
Tomorrow's picture: boom six [21]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [22] | Archive [23] | Submissions [24] | Index [25] | Search [26] | Calendar
[27] | RSS [28] | Education [29] | About APOD [30] | Discuss [31] | > [32] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [33] (MTU [34] ) & Jerry Bonnell [35]
(UMCP [36] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [37] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [38]
A service of: ASD [39] at NASA [40] / GSFC [41]
& Michigan Tech. U. [42]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/spritenight_iss_4256.jpg
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition31/index.html
[4] http://www.nasa.gov/
[5] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/seeing-sprites.html
[6] ap110309.html
[7] ap151109.html
[8] ap130522.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_sprite
[10] http://www.universetoday.com/96984/on-the-hunt-for-high-speed-sprites/
[11] ap141013.html
[12] ap990616.html
[13] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ok7KAaeDjoI/T9a_eWgdZNI/AAAAAAAAVUE/YBJJI1_DW0Q/ s1600/Cat-whispering-to-dog.jpg
[14] ap951111.html
[15] http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/lis/lis_4/
[16] http://www.sky-fire.tv/index.cgi/spritesbluejetselves.html
[17] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper-atmospheric_lightning#Blue_jets
[18] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_gamma-ray_flash
[19] http://www.rittenhouseastronomicalsociety.org/Pages/meetings.htm
[20] http://www.aaa.org/lectures/lecture-series-2015-2016/
[21] ap151221.html
[22] ap151219.html
[23] archivepix.html
[24] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[25] lib/aptree.html
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[27] calendar/allyears.html
[28] /apod.rss
[29] lib/edlinks.html
[30] lib/about_apod.html
[31] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151220
[32] ap151221.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[35] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[36] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[37] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[39] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[42] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 21 - SN Refsdal: The First Predicted Supernova Image

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 21
[2]
SN Refsdal: The First Predicted Supernova Image
Image Credit: NASA [3] , ESA [4] , and S. Rodney [5] (JHU [6] ) and the FrontierSN team; T. Treu [7] (UCLA [8] ), P. Kelly (UC Berkeley [9] ), and the GLASS team; J. Lotz [10] (STScI [11] ) and the Frontier Fields team [12] ; M.
Postman [13] (STScI [14] ) and the CLASH team [15] ; and Z. Levay [16] (STScI
[17] )

Explanation: It's back. Never before has an observed supernova been predicted. The unique astronomical event [18] occurred in the field of galaxy cluster
MACS J1149.5+2223. Most bright spots in the featured image [19] are galaxies in this cluster. The actual supernova, dubbed Supernova Refsdal [20] ,
occurred just once far across the universe and well behind this massive galaxy cluster. Gravity caused the cluster to act as a massive gravitational lens
[21] , splitting the image of Supernova Refsdal into multiple bright images [22] . One of these images arrived at Earth about ten years ago, likely in the upper red circle, and was missed. Four more bright images [23] peaked in April in the lowest red circle, spread around a massive galaxy in the cluster as the first Einstein Cross [24] supernova. But there was more. Analyses revealed [25] that a sixth bright supernova [26] image was likely still on its way to Earth and likely to arrive within the next year. Earlier this month -- right
on schedule -- this sixth bright image was recovered [27] , in the middle red circle, as predicted. Studying image sequences like this help humanity to understand how matter is distributed in galaxies and clusters [28] , how fast the universe expands [29] , and how massive stars explode [30] .

Follow APOD on: Facebook [31] , Google Plus [32] , or Twitter [33]
Tomorrow's picture: find the solstice [34]

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[40] | RSS [41] | Education [42] | About APOD [43] | Discuss [44] | > [45] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [46] (MTU [47] ) & Jerry Bonnell [48]
(UMCP [49] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [50] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [51]
A service of: ASD [52] at NASA [53] / GSFC [54]
& Michigan Tech. U. [55]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/Refsdal_Hubble_3800.jpg
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/
[4] http://www.esa.int/
[5] http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~srodney/
[6] http://physics-astronomy.jhu.edu/
[7] http://www.pa.ucla.edu/directory/tommaso-treu
[8] http://www.pa.ucla.edu/
[9] http://astro.berkeley.edu/
[10]
http://www.stsci.edu/institute/smo/general-information/staff/ biography?user=lotz
[11] http://www.stsci.edu/
[12] http://www.stsci.edu/hst/campaigns/frontier-fields/
[13] http://www.stsci.edu/~postman/Home.html
[14] http://www.stsci.edu/
[15] http://www.stsci.edu/~postman/CLASH/Home.html
[16] http://www.stsci.edu/~levay/
[17] http://www.stsci.edu/
[18] https://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1505/
[19] http://www.eso.org/public/images/ann15088a/
[20] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SN_Refsdal
[21] http://www.cfhtlens.org/public/what-gravitational-lensing
[22] http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/fermi_gravitational_lensing/
[23] ap150309.html
[24] ap130102.html
[25] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015ApJ...800L..26S
[26]
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/ what-is-a-supernova.html
[27] http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=8402
[28]
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/9-12/features/ what-is-dark-matter.html
[29] http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_expansion.html
[30] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgfbjHz_UTo
[31] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[32] https://plus.google.com/u/1/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[33] http://twitter.com/apod/
[34] ap151222.html
[35] ap151220.html
[36] archivepix.html
[37] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[38] lib/aptree.html
[39] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[40] calendar/allyears.html
[41] /apod.rss
[42] lib/edlinks.html
[43] lib/about_apod.html
[44] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151221
[45] ap151222.html
[46] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[47] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[48] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[49] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[50] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[51] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[52] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[53] http://www.nasa.gov/
[54] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[55] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 22 - Solstice Illuminated: A Year of Sky

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 22
Solstice Illuminated: A Year of Sky
Video Credit & Copyright: Ken Murphy [2] (MurphLab [3] ); Music: Ariel (Moby
[4] )

Explanation: Can you find which day is the winter solstice? Each panel shows one day. With 360 movie panels, the sky over (almost) an entire year is shown in time lapse format as recorded [5] by a video camera on the roof of the Exploratorium [6] museum in San Francisco [7] , California [8] . The camera recorded an image every 10 seconds from before sunrise [9] to after sunset [10] and from mid-2009 to mid-2010. A time stamp showing the local time of
day is provided on the lower right. The videos [11] are arranged chronologically, with July 28 shown on the upper left, and January 1 located about half way down. In the videos [12] , darkness indicates night, blue depicts clear day, while gray portrays pervasive daytime cloud cover. Many videos show complex patterns of clouds moving [13] across the camera's wide field as that day progresses. The initial darkness in the middle depicts the delayed dawn and fewer daylight hours of winter. Although every day lasts 24 hours, nighttime lasts longest [14] in the northern hemisphere in December
and the surrounding winter months. Therefore, finding the panel with the longest night will locate the day of winter solstice [15] -- which happens to be today in the northern hemisphere. As the videos collectively end, sunset [16] and then darkness descend [17] first on the winter days just above the middle, and last on the mid-summer near the bottom.

Tomorrow's picture: open space [18]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [19] | Archive [20] | Submissions [21] | Index [22] | Search [23] | Calendar
[24] | RSS [25] | Education [26] | About APOD [27] | Discuss [28] | > [29] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [30] (MTU [31] ) & Jerry Bonnell [32]
(UMCP [33] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [34] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [35]
A service of: ASD [36] at NASA [37] / GSFC [38]
& Michigan Tech. U. [39]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] http://www.murphlab.com/about/
[3] http://www.murphlab.com/
[4] http://www.mobygratis.com/
[5] http://www.murphlab.com/hsky/
[6] http://www.exploratorium.edu/
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California
[9] ap120920.html
[10] ap120522.html
[11] http://vimeo.com/32095756
[12] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNln_me-XjI&f
[13] ap110516.html
[14] http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130118171218AAbk8TE
[15] http://scijinks.jpl.nasa.gov/solstice/
[16] ap120520.html
[17] ap110711.html
[18] ap151223.html
[19] ap151221.html
[20] archivepix.html
[21] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[22] lib/aptree.html
[23] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[24] calendar/allyears.html
[25] /apod.rss
[26] lib/edlinks.html
[27] lib/about_apod.html
[28] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151222
[29] ap151223.html
[30] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[31] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[32] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[33] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[34] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[35] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[36] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[37] http://www.nasa.gov/
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[39] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 23 - Geminid Meteors over Xinglong Observatory

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 23
[2]
Geminid Meteors over Xinglong Observatory
Image Credit & Copyright: Steed Yu [3] and NightChina.net [4]

Explanation: Where do Geminid meteors come from? In terms of location on the sky, as the featured image [5] composite beautifully demonstrates, the sand-sized bits of rock that create the streaks of the Geminid Meteor Shower [6] appear to flow out [7] from the constellation of Gemini [8] . In terms of parent body, Solar System [9] trajectories point to the asteroid 3200 Phaethon [10] -- but this results in a bit of a mystery [11] since that unusual object appears mostly dormant [12] . Perhaps, 3200 Phaethon [13] undergoes greater dust-liberating events [14] than we know, but even if so, exactly what
happens and why remains a riddle [15] . Peaking last week, over 50 meteors including a bright fireball [16] were captured streaking above Xinglong Observatory [17] in China [18] . Since the Geminids [19] of December [20]
are one of the most predictable and active meteor showers [21] ,
investigations into details of its origin are likely to continue.

AAS Conventioneers: APOD Town Meeting Wednesday at 2:15 pm [22]
Tomorrow's picture: pine sky [23]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [24] | Archive [25] | Submissions [26] | Index [27] | Search [28] | Calendar
[29] | RSS [30] | Education [31] | About APOD [32] | Discuss [33] | > [34] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [35] (MTU [36] ) & Jerry Bonnell [37]
(UMCP [38] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [39] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [40]
A service of: ASD [41] at NASA [42] / GSFC [43]
& Michigan Tech. U. [44]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/GemindsXinglong_Steed_2000.jpg
[3] mailto: steedjoy @at@ gmail .dot. com
[4] http://nightchina.net/
[5] http://nightchina.net/2015/12/20/%E5%8F%8C%E5%AD%90%E6%80%92%E5%87%BA%E5%89%91/
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geminids
[7] ap151217.html
[8] http://hawastsoc.org/deepsky/gem/index.html
[9] https://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/overview/index.html
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3200_Phaethon
[11] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010AJ....140.1519J
[12]
http://cdn.petplace.com/images/default-source/Featured-Wide-Large/ 8746_cats.jpg?sfvrsn=3
[13] http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/06dec_geminids/
[14]
https://www.lovethatpet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ 130224-Dog-Wet-Shaking.jpg
[15] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016MNRAS.456...78R
[16] ap081125.html
[17] http://english.cas.cn/newsroom/mutimedia_news/201506/t20150623_149202.shtml
[18] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China
[19] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT3D6t8VT-k
[20] ap141227.html
[21] https://www.nasa.gov/jpl/asteroids/best-meteor-showers
[22] http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35459
[23] ap151224.html
[24] ap151222.html
[25] archivepix.html
[26] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[27] lib/aptree.html
[28] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[29] calendar/allyears.html
[30] /apod.rss
[31] lib/edlinks.html
[32] lib/about_apod.html
[33] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151223
[34] ap151224.html
[35] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[36] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[37] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[38] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[39] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[41] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[42] http://www.nasa.gov/
[43] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[44] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 25 - To Scale: The Solar System

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 25
To Scale: The Solar System
Video Credit & Copyright [2] : Wylie Overstreet [3] and Alex Gorosh [4]

Explanation: Want to build a scale model [5] Solar System? A blue marble [6] 1.4 centimeters (about half an inch) across would be a good choice for a scale model Earth. Since the Sun [7] is 109 times the diameter of Earth, a 1.5
meter diameter balloon could represent the Sun. But the distance between [8] the Earth and Sun, 150 million kilometers, would translate to just under 180 meters (590 feet) at the same scale. That would mean the completed project, including the orbits of the outer planets, is probably not going to fit in
your backyard. Still, you might find enough room on a dry lakebed. Check out this video for an inspirational road trip through the Solar System [9] to scale.

Tomorrow's picture: craters & the galaxy [10]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [11] | Archive [12] | Submissions [13] | Search [14] | Calendar [15] | RSS
[16] | Education [17] | About APOD [18] | Discuss [19] | > [20] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [21] (MTU [22] ) & Jerry Bonnell [23]
(UMCP [24] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [25] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [26]
A service of: ASD [27] at NASA [28] / GSFC [29]
& Michigan Tech. U. [30]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[3] http://wylieoverstreet.com
[4] http://alexgorosh.com
[5] https://www.facebook.com/toscalefilmseries/ videos?ref=page_internal
[6] http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/lro-earthrise-2015
[7] http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/
[8] ap981212.html
[9] http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/
[10] ap151226.html
[11] ap151224.html
[12] archivepix.html
[13] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[14] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[15] calendar/allyears.html
[16] /apod.rss
[17] lib/edlinks.html
[18] lib/about_apod.html
[19] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151225
[20] ap151226.html
[21] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[23] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[24] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[25] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[26] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[27] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[28] http://www.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[30] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 26 - Southern Craters and Galaxies

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 26
[2]
Southern Craters and Galaxies
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Babak Tafreshi [4] (TWAN [5] )

Explanation: The Henbury craters in the Northern Territory, Australia, planet Earth, are the scars of an impact [6] over 4,000 years old. When an ancient meteorite [7] fragmented into dozens of pieces, the largest made the 180 meter diameter crater [8] whose weathered walls and floor are lit in the foreground of this southern hemisphere nightscape [9] . The vertical panoramic view follows our magnificent Milky Way galaxy stretching above horizon, its rich central starfields cut by obscuring dust clouds. A glance along the galactic plane also reveals Alpha and Beta Centauri and the stars of the Southern Cross [10] . Captured in the region's spectacular, dark skies, the Small Magellanic Cloud, satellite of the Milky Way, is the bright galaxy to the left. Not the lights of a nearby town, the visible glow on the horizon below it is the Large Magellanic Cloud [11] rising.

Tomorrow's picture: doomed star [12]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [13] | Archive [14] | Submissions [15] | Search [16] | Calendar [17] | RSS
[18] | Education [19] | About APOD [20] | Discuss [21] | > [22] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [23] (MTU [24] ) & Jerry Bonnell [25]
(UMCP [26] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [27] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [28]
A service of: ASD [29] at NASA [30] / GSFC [31]
& Michigan Tech. U. [32]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/CratersGalaxyTafreshi.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.twanight.org/tafreshi
[5] http://www.twanight.org/
[6] http://www.passc.net/EarthImpactDatabase/Australia.html
[7] http://hubblesite.org/reference_desk/faq/ answer.php.id=22&cat=solarsystem
[8] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Search/ index.php?q=crater
[9] http://www.dreamview.net/dv/new/photos.asp?ID=104632
[10] ap070517.html
[11] ap150827.html
[12] ap151227.html
[13] ap151225.html
[14] archivepix.html
[15] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[16] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[17] calendar/allyears.html
[18] /apod.rss
[19] lib/edlinks.html
[20] lib/about_apod.html
[21] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151226
[22] ap151227.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[26] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[27] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[28] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[29] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[32] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 27 - Doomed Star Eta Carinae

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 27
[2]
Doomed Star Eta Carinae
Image Credit: J. Morse [3] (Arizona State U. [4] ), K. Davidson (U. Minnesota
[5] ) et al., WFPC2 [6] , HST [7] , NASA [8]

Explanation: Eta Carinae may be about to explode. But no one knows when - it may be next year, it may be one million years from now. Eta Carinae [9] 's
mass - about 100 times greater than our Sun [10] - makes it an excellent candidate for a full blown supernova [11] . Historical records do show that about 150 years ago Eta Carinae [12] underwent an unusual outburst that made it one of the brightest stars [13] in the southern sky [14] . Eta Carinae
[15] , in the Keyhole Nebula [16] , is the only star [17] currently thought
to emit natural LASER light [18] . This featured image [19] , taken in 1996, brought out new details in the unusual nebula [20] that surrounds this rogue star [21] . Now clearly visible are two distinct lobes, a hot central region [22] , and strange radial streaks. The lobes are filled [23] with lanes of
gas and dust [24] which absorb the blue and ultraviolet light [25] emitted near the center. The streaks remain unexplained [26] .

Free APOD Lectures: Editor to Speak in January in Philadelphia [27] and New
York City [28]
Tomorrow's picture: open space [29]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [30] | Archive [31] | Submissions [32] | Index [33] | Search [34] | Calendar
[35] | RSS [36] | Education [37] | About APOD [38] | Discuss [39] | > [40] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [41] (MTU [42] ) & Jerry Bonnell [43]
(UMCP [44] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [45] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [46]
A service of: ASD [47] at NASA [48] / GSFC [49]
& Michigan Tech. U. [50]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/etacarinae_hubble_900.jpg
[3] mailto: Jon.A.Morse at nasa.gov
[4] http://sese.asu.edu/
[5] http://www.physics.umn.edu/
[6] http://www.stsci.edu/hst/wfpc2
[7] http://www.stsci.edu/hst/
[8] http://www.nasa.gov/
[9] ap991011.html
[10] sun.html
[11] http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/supernovae.html
[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eta_Carinae
[13] http://www.astro.wisc.edu/%7Edolan/constellations/extra/brightest.html
[14] ap000618.html
[15] http://messier.seds.org/xtra/ngc/etacar.html
[16] ap060316.html
[17] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2I9c4zb31o
[18] ap971129.html
[19] http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1996/23/image/a/
[20] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpnhCEqcRvY
[21] http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/guidry/violence/etacarinae.html
[22] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1995ApJ...445L.121C
[23] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015AAS...22534422M
[24] ap030706.html
[25] http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/emspectrum.html
[26] http://www.ck9training.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/confused-dog.jpg
[27] http://www.rittenhouseastronomicalsociety.org/Pages/meetings.htm
[28] http://www.aaa.org/lectures/lecture-series-2015-2016/
[29] ap151228.html
[30] ap151226.html
[31] archivepix.html
[32] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[33] lib/aptree.html
[34] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[35] calendar/allyears.html
[36] /apod.rss
[37] lib/edlinks.html
[38] lib/about_apod.html
[39] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151227
[40] ap151228.html
[41] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[42] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[43] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[44] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[45] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[46] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[47] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[48] http://www.nasa.gov/
[49] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[50] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 28 - Falcon 9 First Stage Landing

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 28
Falcon 9 First Stage Landing
Video Credit: SpaceX [2]

Explanation: The booster has landed. [3] Spaceflight took a step toward [4]
the less expensive last week when the first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket [5] set down on a landing pad not far from its Florida [6] launch [7] . Previously, most rocket stages remained unrecovered -- with the significant exception of the Space Shuttles landing [8] on a runway and their solid rocket boosters
[9] being fished back [10] from the sea. The landing occurred while the Falcon 9 [11] second stage continued up to launch several communications satellites [12] into low Earth orbit. The controlled landing, produced by SpaceX [13] , was the first of its kind, but followed a booster landing [14] last month by Blue Origin [15] that did not involve launching satellites. Boeing [16] and SpaceX [17] were selected [18] last year by NASA [19] to launch future astronauts [20] to the International Space Station [21] . The pictured rocket booster [22] will be analyzed for wear and reusability [23] , but then is scheduled [24] to be retired [25] .

Follow APOD on: Facebook [26] , Google Plus [27] , or Twitter [28]
Tomorrow's picture: distant dust [29]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [30] | Archive [31] | Submissions [32] | Index [33] | Search [34] | Calendar
[35] | RSS [36] | Education [37] | About APOD [38] | Discuss [39] | > [40] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [41] (MTU [42] ) & Jerry Bonnell [43]
(UMCP [44] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [45] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [46]
A service of: ASD [47] at NASA [48] / GSFC [49]
& Michigan Tech. U. [50]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] http://www.spacex.com/
[3] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Eagle+has+Landed
[4]
https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2015/12/22/ congratulations-to-spacex-on-historic-booster-landing/
[5] http://www.spacex.com/falcon9
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5bTbVbe4e4
[8] ap950812.html
[9] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Srb_splashdown.jpg
[10] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Freedom_Star_with_SRB.JPG
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9
[12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbcomm_(satellite)
[13] https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacexphotos/
[14] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pillaOxGCo
[15] https://www.blueorigin.com/
[16] http://www.boeing.com/space/
[17] http://www.spacex.com/
[18]
https://www.nasa.gov/content/ nasa-chooses-american-companies-to-transport-us-astronauts-to-international- space-station
[19] http://www.nasa.gov/
[20]
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/ be-an-astronaut-nasa-seeks-explorers-for-future-space-missions
[21] ap151109.html
[22] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCBE8ocOkAQ
[23]
http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/12/23/ spacex-rocket-landing-applauded-but-experts-say-implications-tbd/
[24]
http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/21/10642028/ spacex-falcon-9-landing-elon-musk-wont-fly
[25] ap121022.html
[26] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[27] https://plus.google.com/u/1/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[28] http://twitter.com/apod/
[29] ap151229.html
[30] ap151227.html
[31] archivepix.html
[32] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[33] lib/aptree.html
[34] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[35] calendar/allyears.html
[36] /apod.rss
[37] lib/edlinks.html
[38] lib/about_apod.html
[39] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151228
[40] ap151229.html
[41] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[42] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[43] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[44] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[45] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[46] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[47] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[48] http://www.nasa.gov/
[49] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[50] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 29 - Dust of the Orion Nebula

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 29
[2]
Dust of the Orion Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Raul Villaverde Fraile [3]

Explanation: What surrounds a hotbed of star formation? In the case of the Orion Nebula [4] -- dust. The entire Orion field [5] , located about 1600 light years [6] away, is inundated with intricate and picturesque [7] filaments of dust. Opaque [8] to visible light, dust is created [9] in the outer atmosphere of massive cool stars [10] and expelled by a strong outer wind [11] of particles. The Trapezium [12] and other forming star clusters [13] are embedded in the nebula. The intricate filaments of dust surrounding M42 [14] and M43 [15] appear brown in the featured image [16] , while
central glowing gas is highlighted in red. Over the next few million years
much of Orion's dust [17] will be slowly destroyed by the very stars now
being formed, or dispersed into the Galaxy [18] .

Explore the Universe: Random APOD Generator [19]
Tomorrow's picture: large canine [20]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [21] | Archive [22] | Submissions [23] | Index [24] | Search [25] | Calendar
[26] | RSS [27] | Education [28] | About APOD [29] | Discuss [30] | > [31] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [32] (MTU [33] ) & Jerry Bonnell [34]
(UMCP [35] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [36] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [37]
A service of: ASD [38] at NASA [39] / GSFC [40]
& Michigan Tech. U. [41]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/OrionDust_Fraile_1037.jpg
[3] mailto: astrocentejo @at gmail .dot com
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula
[5] ap070125.html
[6] http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html
[7] ap090929.html
[8] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipp7efCAWJs
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_dust#Dust_grain_formation
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_star
[11] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/multimedia/gallery/pia14103_prt.htm
[12] ap050710.html
[13] http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=18009
[14] ap110913.html
[15] http://messier.seds.org/m/m043.html
[16] https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1109925372360447
[17] ap110917.html
[18] http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-are-galaxies/
[19] http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/random_apod.html
[20] ap151230.html
[21] ap151228.html
[22] archivepix.html
[23] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[24] lib/aptree.html
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[26] calendar/allyears.html
[27] /apod.rss
[28] lib/edlinks.html
[29] lib/about_apod.html
[30] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151229
[31] ap151230.html
[32] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[34] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[35] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[36] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[37] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[38] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[41] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 30 - The Fox Fur Nebula

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 30
[2]
The Fox Fur Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: John Vermette [3]

Explanation: This interstellar canine [4] is formed of cosmic dust [5] and gas interacting with the energetic light and wind [6] s from hot young stars. The shape, visual texture, and color, combine to give the region the popular name Fox Fur Nebula [7] . The characteristic blue glow on the left is dust [8]
reflecting light from the bright star S Mon [9] , the bright star just below the top edge of the featured image [10] . Textured red and black areas are a combination of the cosmic dust and reddish emission from ionized [11]
hydrogen [12] gas. S Mon [13] is part of a young open cluster [14] of
stars, NGC 2264 [15] , located about 2,500 light years [16] away toward the constellation [17] of the Unicorn (Monoceros [18] ).

AAS Conventioneers: APOD Town Meeting Wednesday at 2:15 pm [19]
Tomorrow's picture: open space [20]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [21] | Archive [22] | Submissions [23] | Index [24] | Search [25] | Calendar
[26] | RSS [27] | Education [28] | About APOD [29] | Discuss [30] | > [31] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [32] (MTU [33] ) & Jerry Bonnell [34]
(UMCP [35] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [36] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [37]
A service of: ASD [38] at NASA [39] / GSFC [40]
& Michigan Tech. U. [41]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/Foxfur_Vermette_3074.jpg
[3] http://www.johnsastrophotos.com/
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canidae
[5] ap030706.html
[6] http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/SolarWind.shtml
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Fur_Nebula
[8] http://www.irs.uni-stuttgart.de/cosmicdust/
[9] http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/15mon.html
[10] http://www.johnsastrophotos.com/uploads/2/8/4/9/28492009/fox_fur-hargb2.jpg
[11] http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wposion.html
[12] ap010113.html
[13] ap010424.html
[14] open_clusters.html
[15] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2002AAS...200.7002L
[16] http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/980211a.html
[17] http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ extra/constellations.html
[18] http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/mon/index.html
[19] http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35459
[20] ap151231.html
[21] ap151229.html
[22] archivepix.html
[23] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[24] lib/aptree.html
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[26] calendar/allyears.html
[27] /apod.rss
[28] lib/edlinks.html
[29] lib/about_apod.html
[30] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151230
[31] ap151231.html
[32] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[34] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[35] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[36] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[37] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[38] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[41] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2015 December 31 - Solstice Sun at Lulworth Cove

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2015 December 31
[2]
Solstice Sun at Lulworth Cove
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Chris Kotsiopoulos [4] (GreekSky [5] )

Explanation: A southern exposure and striking symmetry made Lulworth Cove [6]
, along the Jurassic Coast of England, planet Earth a beautiful setting during December's Solstice. Five frames [7] in this dramatic composite view follow the lowest arc of the Sun, from sunrise to sunset, during the shortest day [8]
of the year. The solstice [9] arc spans about 103 degrees at this northern latitude. Of course, erosion by wave action has produced the cove's remarkable shape in the coastal limestone layers. The cove's narrow entrance [10] is responsible, creating a circular wave diffraction pattern. The wave pattern is made clearer by the low Sun.

Tomorrow's picture: a new year's comet [11]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [12] | Archive [13] | Submissions [14] | Search [15] | Calendar [16] | RSS
[17] | Education [18] | About APOD [19] | Discuss [20] | > [21] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
(UMCP [25] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [27]
A service of: ASD [28] at NASA [29] / GSFC [30]
& Michigan Tech. U. [31]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1512/20151221LulworthCove-reKotsiopoulos.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.greeksky.gr/files/contact.htm
[5] http://www.greeksky.gr/
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulworth_Cove
[7] http://greeksky.gr/gallery/sun-moon-earth/?image=870
[8] ap151222.html
[9] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/ view.php?id=52248&src=ve
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Huygens%E2%80%93Fresnel_principle
[11] ap160101.html
[12] ap151230.html
[13] archivepix.html
[14] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[15] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[16] calendar/allyears.html
[17] /apod.rss
[18] lib/edlinks.html
[19] lib/about_apod.html
[20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=151231
[21] ap160101.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[27] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[28] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[31] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 2 - Sky Lights in the New Year

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 2
[2]
Sky Lights in the New Year
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Gill Fry [4]

Explanation: Triggered by the impact [5] of a coronal mass ejection on New Year's eve, a moderate geomagnetic storm brought a celebration of sky lights [6] to planet Earth's high latitudes yesterday. In this New Year's nightscape [7] , the shimmering reddish curtains of aurora australis [8] along a southern horizon are captured over Morgiana, SW Victoria, Australia. Of course, more permanent jewels of the southern skies are on the scene. The southern Milky Way, Alpha and Beta Centauri, and bright stars of the Southern Cross [9] are on the left. In silhouette, branches of the large foreground tree stretch across the Milky Way's satellite galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic clouds. The bright star framed near the tips of tree branches at right is Achernar. Alpha star of the constellation Eridanus, Achernar is sometimes
known as the southern end of the river [10] .

Tomorrow's picture: aurora borealis [11]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [12] | Archive [13] | Submissions [14] | Search [15] | Calendar [16] | RSS
[17] | Education [18] | About APOD [19] | Discuss [20] | > [21] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
(UMCP [25] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [27]
A service of: ASD [28] at NASA [29] / GSFC [30]
& Michigan Tech. U. [31]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/AuroraAustralis_Fry.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] https://www.facebook.com/gillfryphotography
[5] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/spaceweather/ index.html#q4
[6] http://spaceweathergallery.com/aurora_gallery.html
[7] https://www.facebook.com/gillfryphotography/photos/ a.1611826735772059.1073741827.1611820399106026/1663815403906525/ ?type=3&theater
[8] ap150704.html
[9] ap070517.html
[10] http://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/ bright-achernar-ends-the-southern-river
[11] ap160103.html
[12] ap160101.html
[13] archivepix.html
[14] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[15] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[16] calendar/allyears.html
[17] /apod.rss
[18] lib/edlinks.html
[19] lib/about_apod.html
[20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160102
[21] ap160103.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[27] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[28] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[31] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 3 - A Starry Night of Iceland

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 3
[2]
A Starry Night of Iceland
Image Credit: Stephane Vetter [3] (Nuits sacrees [4] ); Rollover Annotation:
Judy Schmidt [5]

Explanation: On some nights, the sky is the best show in town. On this night, the sky was not only the best show in town, but a composite image of the sky won an international competition [6] for landscape astrophotography. The featured winning image [7] was taken in 2011 over Jokulsbrl<n [8] , the largest glacial lake [9] in Iceland [10] . The photographer combined six exposures to capture not only two green auroral rings [11] , but their reflections off the serene lake. Visible in the distant background sky is the band of our Milky Way Galaxy [12] and the Andromeda galaxy [13] . A powerful coronal mass ejection [14] from the Sun caused auroras [15] to be seen as
far south as Wisconsin [16] , USA. Solar activity over the past week has resulted in auroras [17] just over the past few days.

Follow APOD on: Facebook [18] , Google Plus [19] , or Twitter [20]
Tomorrow's picture: forced earthset [21]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [22] | Archive [23] | Submissions [24] | Index [25] | Search [26] | Calendar
[27] | RSS [28] | Education [29] | About APOD [30] | Discuss [31] | > [32] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [33] (MTU [34] ) & Jerry Bonnell [35]
(UMCP [36] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [37] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [38]
A service of: ASD [39] at NASA [40] / GSFC [41]
& Michigan Tech. U. [42]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/aurora_vetter_2000.jpg
[3] mailto: stephane dot vetter at wanadoo dot fr
[4] http://www.nuitsacrees.fr/
[5] http://geckzilla.com/
[6] http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/news.asp?newsID=6065
[7] http://www.nuitsacrees.fr/mars-2011-photo15.html
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jokulsbrl<n
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacial_lake
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland
[11] ap021015.html
[12] http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galaxy.html
[13] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2PCFsY521o
[14] ap070206.html
[15] http://spaceweather.com/aurora/gallery_01mar11_page3.htm
[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin
[17] http://spaceweathergallery.com/aurora_gallery.html
[18] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[19] https://plus.google.com/u/1/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[20] http://twitter.com/apod/
[21] ap160104.html
[22] ap160102.html
[23] archivepix.html
[24] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[25] lib/aptree.html
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[27] calendar/allyears.html
[28] /apod.rss
[29] lib/edlinks.html
[30] lib/about_apod.html
[31] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160103
[32] ap160104.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[35] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[36] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[37] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[39] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[42] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 4 - Earthset from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 4
[2]
Earthset from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Image Credit: NASA [3] / GSFC [4] / Arizona State U./ Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter [6]

Explanation: On the Moon, the Earth never rises -- or sets. If you were to sit on the surface of the Moon, you would see the Earth just hang in the sky. This is because the Moon always keeps the same side [7] toward the Earth. Curiously, the featured image [8] does picture the Earth setting over a lunar edge. This was possible because the image was taken from a spacecraft
orbiting the Moon - specifically the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter [9] (LRO). In fact, LRO orbits the Moon so fast that, from the spacecraft, the Earth appears [10] to set anew [11] about every two hours. The featured image [12] captured one such Earthset about three months ago. By contrast, from the surface of the Earth, the Moon sets [13] about once a day -- with the primary cause [14] being the rotation of the Earth. LRO [15] was launched in 2009 and, while creating a detailed three dimensional map of the Moon's surface
[16] , is also surveying the Moon [17] for water [18] and possible good landing spots for future astronauts [19] .

Free APOD Lectures: Editor to speak this coming weekend in Philadelphia [20]
and New York City [21]
Tomorrow's picture: blue lagoon [22]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [23] | Archive [24] | Submissions [25] | Index [26] | Search [27] | Calendar
[28] | RSS [29] | Education [30] | About APOD [31] | Discuss [32] | > [33] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [34] (MTU [35] ) & Jerry Bonnell [36]
(UMCP [37] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [38] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [39]
A service of: ASD [40] at NASA [41] / GSFC [42]
& Michigan Tech. U. [43]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/Earthrise_LRO_5634.jpg
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/
[4] http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[5] https://sese.asu.edu/
[6] http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/index.html
[7] http://discovermagazine.com/2014/dec/2-ask-discover
[8] http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/895
[9] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/overview/index.html
[10] ap150906.html
[11] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVrs6Sv5mvM
[12] https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/lro-earthrise-2015
[13] ap130814.html
[14]
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/12/18/ earthrise_as_seen_from_lro_orbiting_the_moon.html
[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Reconnaissance_Orbiter
[16] http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130916.html
[17]
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/ what-is-LRO-k4.html
[18] ap101025.html
[19] http://astronauts.nasa.gov/
[20] http://www.rittenhouseastronomicalsociety.org/Pages/meetings.htm
[21] http://www.aaa.org/lectures/lecture-series-2015-2016/
[22] ap160105.html
[23] ap160103.html
[24] archivepix.html
[25] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[26] lib/aptree.html
[27] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[28] calendar/allyears.html
[29] /apod.rss
[30] lib/edlinks.html
[31] lib/about_apod.html
[32] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160104
[33] ap160105.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[35] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[36] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[37] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[38] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[40] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/
[42] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[43] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 5 - The Lagoon Nebula in Hydrogen Sulfur and Oxygen

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 5
[2]
The Lagoon Nebula in Hydrogen, Sulfur, and Oxygen
Image Credit & Copyright: John Nemcik [3]

Explanation: The majestic Lagoon Nebula [4] is filled with hot gas and the
home for many young stars. Spanning 100 light years [5] across while lying only about 5000 light years distant, the Lagoon Nebula [6] is so big and bright that it can be seen [7] without a telescope [8] toward the constellation [9] of the Archer (Sagittarius [10] ). Many bright stars are visible from NGC 6530 [11] , an open cluster [12] that formed in the nebula [13] only several million years ago. The greater nebula, also known as M8
[14] and NGC 6523, is named "Lagoon" for the band of dust seen to the right
of the open cluster's center. The featured image was taken in the light
emitted by Hydrogen [15] (shown in brown), Sulfur [16] (red), and Oxygen
[17] (blue) and displayed in enhanced color [18] . The featured picture is a newly processed panorama of M8 [19] , capturing twice the diameter of the Full Moon. Star formation [20] continues in the Lagoon Nebula [21] as witnessed
by the many globules [22] that exist there.

AAS Conventioneers: APOD Town Meeting Wednesday at 2:15 pm [23]
Tomorrow's picture: open space [24]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [25] | Archive [26] | Submissions [27] | Index [28] | Search [29] | Calendar
[30] | RSS [31] | Education [32] | About APOD [33] | Discuss [34] | > [35] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [36] (MTU [37] ) & Jerry Bonnell [38]
(UMCP [39] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [40] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [41]
A service of: ASD [42] at NASA [43] / GSFC [44]
& Michigan Tech. U. [45]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/LagoonHSO_Nemcik_1829.jpg
[3] mailto: john32712 (at) yahoo (dot) com
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagoon_Nebula
[5] http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html
[6] ap021006.html
[7] ap980907.html
[8] ap011014.html
[9] http://www.comfychair.org/~cmbell/myth/myth.html
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_(constellation)
[11] http://messier.seds.org/xtra/ngc/n6530.html
[12] open_clusters.html
[13] ap081019.html
[14] ap010103.html
[15] http://periodic.lanl.gov/1.shtml
[16] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5H6DVe5FAI
[17] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Paleoclimatology_OxygenBalance/
[18] http://hubblesite.org/gallery/behind_the_pictures/meaning_of_color/eagle.php
[19] ap070804.html
[20] http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve/
[21] ap130817.html
[22] ap120612.html
[23] http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35459
[24] ap160106.html
[25] ap160104.html
[26] archivepix.html
[27] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[28] lib/aptree.html
[29] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[30] calendar/allyears.html
[31] /apod.rss
[32] lib/edlinks.html
[33] lib/about_apod.html
[34] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160105
[35] ap160106.html
[36] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[37] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[38] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[39] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[40] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[42] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[43] http://www.nasa.gov/
[44] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[45] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 6 - Comets and Bright Star

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 6
[2]
Comets and Bright Star
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Fritz Helmut Hemmerich [4]

Explanation: This timely [5] , telescopic, two panel mosaic spans about 10
full moons across planet Earth's predawn skies. Recorded as the year began
from Tenerife, Canary Islands, near the top of the frame are the faint coma
and tail of Comet Borrelly [6] (P/19). A comet with a seven year orbital period, Borrelly's nucleus [7] was visited by the ion propelled spacecraft
Deep Space 1 [8] near the beginning of the 21st century. Anchoring the scene at the bottom is brilliant star Arcturus (Alpha Bootes) and Comet Catalina [9]
(C/2013 US10) a first time visitor from the Oort Cloud. Catalina's [10] yellowish dust tail extends below and right. Buffeted by winds and storms from the Sun, the comet's complex ion tail sweeps up and toward the right, across most of the field of view. Remarkably, one of the composition's 30 second exposure subframes also caught the trail of a bright meteor, slashing toward the left between comets and bright star.

Tomorrow's picture: Andromeda and NuSTAR [11]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [12] | Archive [13] | Submissions [14] | Search [15] | Calendar [16] | RSS
[17] | Education [18] | About APOD [19] | Discuss [20] | > [21] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
(UMCP [25] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [27]
A service of: ASD [28] at NASA [29] / GSFC [30]
& Michigan Tech. U. [31]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/CatalinaBorrellyArcturus2016-01-01_Hemmerich.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] https://www.flickr.com/people/fhhemmerich/
[5] https://www.flickr.com/photos/fhhemmerich/24111343806/
[6] http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0019P/2015.html
[7] ap010926.html
[8] http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/ds1/
[9] http://www.aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html
[10] ap160101.html
[11] ap160107.html
[12] ap160105.html
[13] archivepix.html
[14] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[15] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[16] calendar/allyears.html
[17] /apod.rss
[18] lib/edlinks.html
[19] lib/about_apod.html
[20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160106
[21] ap160107.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[27] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[28] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[31] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 7 - High Energy Andromeda

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 7
[2]
High Energy Andromeda
Image Credit: NASA [3] , JPL-Caltech, GSFC, NuSTAR [4] , GALEX [5] ,

Explanation: A mere 2.5 million [6] light-years away, the Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, really is just next door as large galaxies go. In this (inset) scan, image data from NASA's Nuclear Spectrosopic Telescope Array [7] has yielded the best high-energy X-ray view yet of our large neighboring spiral, revealing some 40 extreme sources of X-rays [8] , X-ray binary star systems that contain a black hole or neutron star orbiting a more normal stellar companion. In fact, larger Andromeda and our own Milky Way are the
most massive members of the local galaxy group. Andromeda is close enough that NuSTAR can examine its population of X-ray binaries in detail, comparing [9] them to our own. The background image [10] of Andromeda was taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer in energetic ultraviolet light.

Tomorrow's picture: potatoes in space [11]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [12] | Archive [13] | Submissions [14] | Search [15] | Calendar [16] | RSS
[17] | Education [18] | About APOD [19] | Discuss [20] | > [21] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
(UMCP [25] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [27]
A service of: ASD [28] at NASA [29] / GSFC [30]
& Michigan Tech. U. [31]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/PIA20061NuSTARAndromeda.jpg
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/
[4] http://www.nustar.caltech.edu/
[5] http://www.galex.caltech.edu/
[6] ap061228.html
[7] http://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/ Andromeda-Galaxy-Scanned-with-High-Energy-X-ray-Vision
[8] http://www.astronomycast.com/2009/05/ ep-135-x-ray-astronomy/
[9] http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/black_holes/ encyc_mod1_q8.html
[10] ap150724.html
[11] ap160108.html
[12] ap160106.html
[13] archivepix.html
[14] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[15] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[16] calendar/allyears.html
[17] /apod.rss
[18] lib/edlinks.html
[19] lib/about_apod.html
[20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160107
[21] ap160108.html
[22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[24] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[27] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[28] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[31] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 8 - Prometheus and the F Ring

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 8
[2]
Prometheus and the F Ring
Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team [3] , SSI [4] , JPL [5] , ESA [6] , NASA
[7]

Explanation: In Greek myth Prometheus was a Titan, known for bringing fire
from Mount Olympus. But in modern times the name is given to a small moon of Saturn [8] , orbiting just inside Saturn's F ring. In a complex interaction, the tiny potato-shaped moon interacts [9] with the icy ring particles creating structures along the F ring [10] still not fully understood. One of the highest resolution views of Prometheus, this image [11] of its pocked surface posing with the thin F ring in the background was taken during the Cassini spacecraft's close approach on December 6, 2015. Prometheus is about 86 kilometers (50 miles) across.

Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space [12]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [13] | Archive [14] | Submissions [15] | Search [16] | Calendar [17] | RSS
[18] | Education [19] | About APOD [20] | Discuss [21] | > [22] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [23] (MTU [24] ) & Jerry Bonnell [25]
(UMCP [26] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [27] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [28]
A service of: ASD [29] at NASA [30] / GSFC [31]
& Michigan Tech. U. [32]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/PIA17207prometheus.jpg
[3] http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/
[4] http://www.spacescience.org/
[5] http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
[6] http://www.esa.int/
[7] http://www.nasa.gov/
[8] http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/moons/prometheus/
[9] http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/ 03231408-cassini-f-ring-movie.html
[10] http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18337
[11] http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17207
[12] ap160109.html
[13] ap160107.html
[14] archivepix.html
[15] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[16] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[17] calendar/allyears.html
[18] /apod.rss
[19] lib/edlinks.html
[20] lib/about_apod.html
[21] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160108
[22] ap160109.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[26] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[27] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[28] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[29] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[32] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 9 - Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1300

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 9
[2]
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1300
Image Credit: Hubble Heritage Team [3] , ESA [4] , NASA [5]

Explanation: Big, beautiful, barred spiral galaxy NGC 1300 [6] lies some 70 million light-years away on the banks of the constellation Eridanus [7] . This Hubble Space Telescope composite view [8] of the gorgeous island universe is one of the largest Hubble images [9] ever made of a complete galaxy. NGC 1300 [10] spans over 100,000 light-years and the Hubble [11] image reveals striking details of the galaxy's dominant central bar and majestic spiral arms. In
fact, on close inspection [12] the nucleus of this classic barred [13] spiral itself shows a remarkable region of spiral structure [14] about 3,000 light-years across. Like other spiral galaxies [15] , including our own Milky Way [16] , NGC 1300 is thought to have a supermassive central black hole [17]
.

Free APOD Lecture: Editor to speak tonight in Philadelphia [18]
Tomorrow's picture: stormy sun day [19]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [20] | Archive [21] | Submissions [22] | Search [23] | Calendar [24] | RSS
[25] | Education [26] | About APOD [27] | Discuss [28] | > [29] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [30] (MTU [31] ) & Jerry Bonnell [32]
(UMCP [33] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [34] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [35]
A service of: ASD [36] at NASA [37] / GSFC [38]
& Michigan Tech. U. [39]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/ngc1300_hst_6637.jpg
[3] http://heritage.stsci.edu/commonpages/infoindex/ourproject/moreproject.html
[4] http://www.esa.int/
[5] http://www.nasa.gov
[6] http://heritage.stsci.edu/2005/01/ supplemental.html
[7] http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/eri/index.html
[8] http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/ 2005/01/
[9] http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2005/01/image/a/warn/
[10] http://heritage.stsci.edu/2005/01/fast_facts.html
[11] ap010806.html
[12] image/0501/ngc1300_hst_core.jpg
[13] http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/ astr162/lect/galaxies/hubble.html
[14] ap080517.html
[15] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_galaxies
[16] ap080606.html
[17] http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0502573
[18] http://www.rittenhouseastronomicalsociety.org/Pages/ meetings.htm
[19] ap160110.html
[20] ap160108.html
[21] archivepix.html
[22] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[23] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[24] calendar/allyears.html
[25] /apod.rss
[26] lib/edlinks.html
[27] lib/about_apod.html
[28] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160109
[29] ap160110.html
[30] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[31] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[32] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[33] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[34] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[35] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[36] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[37] http://www.nasa.gov/
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[39] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 10 - Sun Storm: A Coronal Mass Ejection

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 10
[2]
Sun Storm: A Coronal Mass Ejection
Image Credit: NASA [3] , ESA [4] , SOHO Consortium [5]

Explanation: What's happening to our Sun? Another Coronal Mass Ejection [6] (CME)! The Sun-orbiting SOHO spacecraft [7] has imaged many erupting
filaments lifting off [8] the active solar surface and blasting enormous bubbles of magnetic plasma [9] into space. Direct light from the sun is blocked in the inner part of the featured image [10] , taken in 2002, and replaced by a simultaneous image of the Sun in ultraviolet light [11] . The field of view extends over two million kilometers from the solar surface [12]
. While hints of these explosive events [13] , called coronal mass ejections [14] or CMEs, were discovered by spacecraft in the early 70s, this dramatic image [15] is part of a detailed record of this CME's development from the presently operating SOHO [16] spacecraft. Near the maximum of the solar activity cycle [17] , CMEs now typically occur several times a week. Strong CMEs may profoundly influence space weather [18] . Those directed toward our planet can have serious effects [19] .

Astrophysicists: Browse 1,100+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library
[20]
Tomorrow's picture: circles above mountains [21]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [22] | Archive [23] | Submissions [24] | Index [25] | Search [26] | Calendar
[27] | RSS [28] | Education [29] | About APOD [30] | Discuss [31] | > [32] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [33] (MTU [34] ) & Jerry Bonnell [35]
(UMCP [36] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [37] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [38]
A service of: ASD [39] at NASA [40] / GSFC [41]
& Michigan Tech. U. [42]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/CMEsun_soho_1875.jpg
[3] http://www.nasa.gov/
[4] http://www.esa.int/
[5] http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/
[6] http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/sun/cmes.html&edu=high
[7] http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/about/about.html
[8] ap990923.html
[9] ap980515.html
[10] http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/gallery/images/c2eitcomp.html
[11] http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves.html
[12] ap140312.html
[13] http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/outreach/cmeposter/hurricane.html
[14] https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/how-nasa-watches-cmes
[15] http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/gallery/images/c2eitcomp.html
[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_and_Heliospheric_Observatory
[17] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_spot_cycle
[18] http://www.spaceweather.com/
[19]
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/ 06may_carringtonflare/
[20] http://ascl.net/code/all/order/date/dir/desc/listmode/full
[21] ap160111.html
[22] ap160109.html
[23] archivepix.html
[24] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[25] lib/aptree.html
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[27] calendar/allyears.html
[28] /apod.rss
[29] lib/edlinks.html
[30] lib/about_apod.html
[31] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160110
[32] ap160111.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[35] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[36] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[37] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[39] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[42] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 11 - A Colorful Solar Corona over the Himalayas

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 11
[2]
A Colorful Solar Corona over the Himalayas
Image Credit & Copyright: Jeff Dai [3]

Explanation: What are those colorful rings around the Sun? A corona [4]
visible only to Earth observers [5] in the right place at the right time. Rings like this will sometimes appear when the Sun or Moon [6] is seen
through thin clouds. The effect is created by the quantum [7] mechanical diffraction [8] of light around individual, similarly-sized water droplets
[9] in an intervening but mostly-transparent cloud. Since light of different colors [10] has different wavelengths, each color diffracts differently. Solar Coronae are one of the few quantum color effects [11] that can be easily seen with the unaided eye. This type of solar corona [12] is a visual effect due
to water in Earth's atmosphere [13] and is altogether different from the
solar corona [14] that exists continually around the Sun -- and stands out [15] during a total solar eclipse [16] . In the foreground is the famous Himalayan [17] mountain peak Ama Dablam [18] (Mother's Necklace),

Follow APOD on: Facebook [19] , Google Plus [20] , or Twitter [21]
Tomorrow's picture: california in space [22]

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[28] | RSS [29] | Education [30] | About APOD [31] | Discuss [32] | > [33] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [34] (MTU [35] ) & Jerry Bonnell [36]
(UMCP [37] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [38] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [39]
A service of: ASD [40] at NASA [41] / GSFC [42]
& Michigan Tech. U. [43]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/CoronaMt_Dai_1500.jpg
[3] http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffdai/
[4] http://www.atoptics.co.uk/droplets/corona.htm
[5] http://smile-per-day.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/aalw01.jpg
[6] ap150615.html
[7] http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=21334
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffraction
[9] http://www.atoptics.co.uk/droplets/cordrsz.htm
[10] http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/09_visiblelight.html
[11] http://www.atoptics.co.uk/droplets/corcols.htm
[12] http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2008/01/cairo-cloud-corona.html
[13] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/atmosphere-layers2.html
[14] ap090726.html
[15] ap150331.html
[16] ap150420.html
[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalayas
[18] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ama_Dablam
[19] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[20] https://plus.google.com/u/1/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[21] http://twitter.com/apod/
[22] ap160112.html
[23] ap160110.html
[24] archivepix.html
[25] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[26] lib/aptree.html
[27] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[28] calendar/allyears.html
[29] /apod.rss
[30] lib/edlinks.html
[31] lib/about_apod.html
[32] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160111
[33] ap160112.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[35] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[36] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[37] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[38] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[39] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[40] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/
[42] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[43] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 12 - The California Nebula

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 12
[2]
The California Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Farmakopoulos Antonis [3]

Explanation: What's California doing in space? Drifting through the Orion Arm of the spiral Milky Way Galaxy, this cosmic cloud [4] by chance echoes the outline of California [5] on the west coast of the United States [6] . Our own Sun [7] also lies within the Milky Way's Orion Arm [8] , only about 1,500 light-years from the California Nebula [9] . Also known as NGC 1499 [10] , the classic emission nebula is around 100 light-year [11] s long. On the featured image [12] , the most prominent glow of the California Nebula is the red light characteristic of hydrogen [13] atoms recombining with long lost [14] electrons, stripped away ( ionized [15] ) by energetic starlight. The star
most likely providing the energetic starlight that ionizes [16] much of the nebular gas is the bright, hot, bluish Xi Persei [17] just to the right of the nebula. A regular target for astrophotographers, the California Nebula can be spotted [18] with a wide-field telescope under a dark sky toward the constellation of Perseus [19] , not far from the Pleiades [20] .

Tomorrow's picture: reflections [21]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [22] | Archive [23] | Submissions [24] | Index [25] | Search [26] | Calendar
[27] | RSS [28] | Education [29] | About APOD [30] | Discuss [31] | > [32] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [33] (MTU [34] ) & Jerry Bonnell [35]
(UMCP [36] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [37] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [38]
A service of: ASD [39] at NASA [40] / GSFC [41]
& Michigan Tech. U. [42]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/California_Antonis_1351.jpg
[3] http://astrofarma.gr/en/about
[4] http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/nebulae/ngc1499.html
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California
[6] https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
[7] ap140506.html
[8] http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/5000lys.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Nebula
[10] http://spider.seds.org/spider/Misc/n1499.html
[11] http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html
[12] http://astrofarma.gr/en/California
[13] http://periodic.lanl.gov/1.shtml
[14] lib/lament.html
[15] http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/ astr162/lect/light/ionization.html
[16] http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ion-balloons/en/
[17] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Persei
[18] ap090411.html
[19] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_%28constellation%29
[20] ap091103.html
[21] ap160113.html
[22] ap160111.html
[23] archivepix.html
[24] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[25] lib/aptree.html
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[27] calendar/allyears.html
[28] /apod.rss
[29] lib/edlinks.html
[30] lib/about_apod.html
[31] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160112
[32] ap160113.html
[33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[35] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[36] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[37] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[38] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[39] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[40] http://www.nasa.gov/
[41] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[42] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 13 - Reflections on the 1970s

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 13
[2]
Reflections on the 1970s
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Adam Block [4] , Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter [5] ,
Univ. Arizona [6]

Explanation: The 1970s [7] are sometimes ignored by astronomers, like this beautiful grouping of reflection nebulae in Orion - NGC 1977, NGC 1975, and
NGC 1973 - usually overlooked in favor of the substantial glow from the nearby stellar nursery better known as the Orion Nebula [8] . Found along Orion's sword just north of the bright Orion Nebula complex, these reflection nebulae are also associated with Orion's giant molecular cloud about 1,500 light-years away, but are dominated by the characteristic blue color of interstellar dust reflecting [9] light from hot young stars. In this sharp color image [10] a portion of the Orion Nebula appears along the bottom border with the cluster
of reflection nebulae [11] at picture center. NGC 1977 stretches across the field just below center, separated from NGC 1973 (above right) and NGC 1975 (above left) by dark regions laced with faint red emission from hydrogen
atoms. Taken together, the dark regions suggest to many the shape of a running man [12] .

Tomorrow's picture: infrared portrait [13]

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[19] | Education [20] | About APOD [21] | Discuss [22] | > [23] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [24] (MTU [25] ) & Jerry Bonnell [26]
(UMCP [27] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [28] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [29]
A service of: ASD [30] at NASA [31] / GSFC [32]
& Michigan Tech. U. [33]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/RunningN1977Block.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://adamblockphotos.com/
[5] http://skycenter.arizona.edu/
[6] http://www.as.arizona.edu/
[7] http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/elvis/elnix.html
[8] ap151229.html
[9] http://leo.astronomy.cz/mix/mix.html
[10] https://www.adamblockphotos.com/ngc-1977.html
[11] ap011228.html
[12] http://rao.150m.com/NGC1977.html
[13] ap160114.html
[14] ap160112.html
[15] archivepix.html
[16] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[17] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[18] calendar/allyears.html
[19] /apod.rss
[20] lib/edlinks.html
[21] lib/about_apod.html
[22] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160113
[23] ap160114.html
[24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[25] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[26] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[27] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[28] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[29] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[30] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/
[32] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[33] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 14 - Infrared Portrait of the Large Magellanic Cloud

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 14
[2]
Infrared Portrait of the Large Magellanic Cloud
Image Credit: ESA [3] / NASA [4] / JPL-Caltech [5] / STScI

Explanation: Cosmic dust clouds ripple across this infrared portrait [6] of
our Milky Way's satellite galaxy [7] , the Large Magellanic Cloud. In fact,
the remarkable composite image from the Herschel Space Observatory [8] and
the Spitzer Space Telescope [9] show that dust clouds fill this neighboring dwarf galaxy, much like dust along the plane [10] of the Milky Way itself.
The dust temperatures [11] tend to trace star forming activity. Spitzer data
in blue hues indicate warm dust heated by young stars. Herschel's instruments contributed the image data shown in red and green, revealing dust emission
from cooler and intermediate regions where star formation is just beginning or has stopped. Dominated by dust emission, the Large Magellanic Cloud's infrared appearance is different from views in optical images [12] . But this galaxy's well-known Tarantula Nebula [13] still stands out, easily seen here as the brightest region to the left of center. A mere 160,000 light-years distant,
the Large Cloud of Magellan [14] is about 30,000 light-years across.

Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space [15]

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[21] | Education [22] | About APOD [23] | Discuss [24] | > [25] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [26] (MTU [27] ) & Jerry Bonnell [28]
(UMCP [29] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [30] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [31]
A service of: ASD [32] at NASA [33] / GSFC [34]
& Michigan Tech. U. [35]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/PIA15254_LMC2048.jpg
[3] http://herschel.esac.esa.int/
[4] http://www.nasa.gov/
[5] http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/
[6] http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/ 4872-ssc2012-01a-Dusty-Space-Cloud
[7] http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/sattelit.html
[8] http://herschel.esac.esa.int/overview.shtml
[9] http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/mission
[10] ap110902.html
[11] http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ ir_tutorial/index.html
[12] ap110426.html
[13] ap110111.html
[14] ap081219.html
[15] ap160115.html
[16] ap160113.html
[17] archivepix.html
[18] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[19] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[20] calendar/allyears.html
[21] /apod.rss
[22] lib/edlinks.html
[23] lib/about_apod.html
[24] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160114
[25] ap160115.html
[26] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[27] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[28] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[29] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[30] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[32] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[33] http://www.nasa.gov/
[34] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[35] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 16 - The View Toward M106

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 16
[2]
The View Toward M106
Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Fabian Neyer [4]

Explanation: A big, bright, beautiful spiral, Messier 106 is [5] at the
center of this galaxy filled cosmic vista. The two degree wide telescopic
field of view [6] looks toward the well-trained constellation Canes Venatici, near the handle of the Big Dipper. Also known as NGC 4258, M106 is about
80,000 light-years across and 23.5 million light-years away, the largest
member of the Canes II [7] galaxy group. For a far away galaxy, the distance
to M106 is well-known in part because it can be directly measured [8] by tracking this galaxy's remarkable maser, or microwave laser emission. Very
rare but naturally occuring, the maser emission [9] is produced by water molecules in molecular clouds orbiting its active galactic nucleus [10] . Another prominent spiral galaxy on the scene, viewed nearly edge-on, is NGC 4217 [11] below and right of M106. The distance to NGC 4217 is much less well-known, estimated to be about 60 million light-years.

Tomorrow's picture: galaxy center [12]

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[18] | Education [19] | About APOD [20] | Discuss [21] | > [22] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [23] (MTU [24] ) & Jerry Bonnell [25]
(UMCP [26] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [27] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [28]
A service of: ASD [29] at NASA [30] / GSFC [31]
& Michigan Tech. U. [32]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/m106_neyer.jpg
[3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[4] http://www.starpointing.com/
[5] ap130206.html
[6] http://www.starpointing.com/ccd/m106.html
[7] http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galgrps/cvnii.html
[8] http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.6031
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrophysical_maser
[10] https://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1302/
[11] https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1503a/
[12] ap160117.html
[13] ap160115.html
[14] archivepix.html
[15] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[16] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[17] calendar/allyears.html
[18] /apod.rss
[19] lib/edlinks.html
[20] lib/about_apod.html
[21] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160116
[22] ap160117.html
[23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[24] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[25] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[26] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[27] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[28] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[29] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[30] http://www.nasa.gov/
[31] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[32] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 17 - The Galactic Center in Infrared

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 17
[2]
The Galactic Center in Infrared
Image Credit: 2MASS Project [3] , UMass [4] , IPAC/Caltech [5] , NSF [6] ,
NASA [7]

Explanation: The center of our Galaxy is a busy place. In visible light [8] , much of the Galactic Center [9] is obscured by opaque dust [10] . In infrared light [11] , however, dust glows more and obscures less, allowing nearly one million stars to be recorded in the featured photograph [12] . The Galactic Center [13] itself appears [14] on the left and is located about 30,000 light years [15] away towards the constellation of the Archer ( Sagittarius [16] ). The Galactic Plane [17] of our Milky Way Galaxy [18] , the plane in which the Sun [19] orbits, is identifiable by the dark diagonal dust lane [20] . The absorbing dust [21] grains are created in the atmospheres of cool [22] red-giant stars [23] and grow in molecular cloud [24] s. The region directly surrounding the Galactic Center [25] glows brightly in radio [26] and high-energy radiation [27] , and is thought to house a large black hole [28] .

Follow APOD on: Facebook [29] , Google Plus [30] , or Twitter [31]
Tomorrow's picture: planet quest [32]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [33] | Archive [34] | Submissions [35] | Index [36] | Search [37] | Calendar
[38] | RSS [39] | Education [40] | About APOD [41] | Discuss [42] | > [43] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [44] (MTU [45] ) & Jerry Bonnell [46]
(UMCP [47] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [48] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [49]
A service of: ASD [50] at NASA [51] / GSFC [52]
& Michigan Tech. U. [53]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/gcenter_2mass_620.jpg
[3] http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/2mass/
[4] http://www.astro.umass.edu/
[5] http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/
[6] http://www.nsf.gov/
[7] http://www.nasa.gov/
[8] http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/09_visiblelight.html
[9] ap011229.html
[10] ap030706.html
[11] http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/discovery.html
[12] http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/2mass/gallery/images_misc.html
[13] ap020803.html
[14] ap020707.html
[15] http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html
[16] http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Sagittarius.html
[17] ap000130.html
[18] http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/gr/public/gal_milky.html
[19] http://solar-center.stanford.edu/interview/nemiroff.html
[20] ap020703.html
[21] http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Mathis/Mathis1.html
[22]
http://www.sfgate.com/blogs/images/sfgate/pets/2008/05/14/ 1198942621-cat_with_glasses.b.jpg
[23] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_giant
[24] ap030202.html
[25] ap120702.html
[26] ap020521.html
[27] ap000819.html
[28] http://hubblesite.org/discoveries/black_holes/home.html
[29] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[30] https://plus.google.com/u/1/+AstronomyPictureOfTheDay
[31] http://twitter.com/apod/
[32] ap160118.html
[33] ap160116.html
[34] archivepix.html
[35] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[36] lib/aptree.html
[37] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[38] calendar/allyears.html
[39] /apod.rss
[40] lib/edlinks.html
[41] lib/about_apod.html
[42] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160117
[43] ap160118.html
[44] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[45] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[46] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[47] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[48] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[49] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[50] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[51] http://www.nasa.gov/
[52] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[53] http://www.mtu.edu/

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APOD: 2016 January 18 - Proxima Centauri: The Closest Star

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.

2016 January 18
[2]
Proxima Centauri: The Closest Star
Image Credit: ESA [3] / Hubble [4] & NASA [5]

Explanation: Does the closest star to our Sun have planets? No one is sure -- but you can now follow frequent updates [6] of a new search [7] that is
taking place during the first few months of this year. The closest star, Proxima Centauri [8] , is the nearest [9] member of the Alpha Centauri star system [10] . Light takes only 4.24 years to reach us from Proxima Centauri [11] . This small red star [12] , captured in the center of the featured image [13] by the Hubble Space Telescope [14] , is so faint that it was only discovered [15] in 1915 and is only visible through a telescope. Telescope-created X-shaped diffraction spikes [16] surround Proxima Centauri, while several stars further out in our Milky Way Galaxy [17] are visible in the background. The brightest star in the Alpha Centauri [18] system is quite similar [19] to our Sun, has been known as long as recorded history, and is the third brightest star [20] in the night sky. The Alpha Centauri system
[21] is primarily visible from Earth's Southern Hemisphere [22] . Starting last week, the European Southern Observatory [23] 's Pale Red Dot project [24] began investigating slight changes in Proxima Centauri [25] to see if they result from a planet -- possibly an Earth-sized planet. Although unlikely,
were a modern civilization [26] found living on a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri [27] , its proximity makes it a reasonable possibility that humanity could communicate [28] with them.

#PaleRedDot : Follow the search for planets around Proxima Centauri [29] .
Tomorrow's picture: dark dune on mars [30]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < [31] | Archive [32] | Submissions [33] | Index [34] | Search [35] | Calendar
[36] | RSS [37] | Education [38] | About APOD [39] | Discuss [40] | > [41] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [42] (MTU [43] ) & Jerry Bonnell [44]
(UMCP [45] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [46] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [47]
A service of: ASD [48] at NASA [49] / GSFC [50]
& Michigan Tech. U. [51]
----------
Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] image/1601/ProximaCentauri_Hubble_2048.jpg
[3] http://www.esa.int/
[4] https://www.spacetelescope.org/
[5] http://www.nasa.gov/
[6] https://twitter.com/pale_red_dot
[7] http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann16003/
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxima_Centauri
[9] ap010318.html
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Centauri
[11] http://earthsky.org/space/this-date-in-science-discovery-of-proxima-centauri
[12] https://stardate.org/radio/program/proxima-centauri
[13] http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1343a/
[14] http://www.savinghubble.com/about/
[15] http://www.astrosurf.com/cielextreme/page107E.html
[16] ap971119.html
[17] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/gallery/galaxy-location.html
[18] ap030323.html
[19] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri3EN9hXXrs
[20] http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/brightest.html
[21] http://www.solstation.com/stars/alp-cent3.htm
[22] ap001223.html
[23] http://www.eso.org/
[24] https://palereddot.org/
[25] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxima_Centauri
[26]
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/ 151123112509-brussels-lockdown-cat-twitter-costello-nr-sot-00001915-exlarge- 169.jpg
[27] http://www.universetoday.com/59336/proxima-centauri/
[28] https://briankoberlein.com/2015/02/19/e-t-phone-home/
[29] https://palereddot.org/
[30] ap160119.html
[31] ap160117.html
[32] archivepix.html
[33] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[34] lib/aptree.html
[35] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
[36] calendar/allyears.html
[37] /apod.rss
[38] lib/edlinks.html
[39] lib/about_apod.html
[40] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=160118
[41] ap160119.html
[42] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[43] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[44] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
[45] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[46] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[47] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
[48] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[49] http://www.nasa.gov/
[50] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[51] http://www.mtu.edu/

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