Astronomy Picture of the Day

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

                              2020 February 11
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                         Launch of the Solar Orbiter
       Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Derek Demeter ([5]Emil Buehler
                                Planetarium)

   Explanation: How does weather on the Sun affect humanity? To help find
   out, the [6]European Space Agency (ESA) and [7]NASA have just launched
   the [8]Solar Orbiter. This Sun-circling robotic spaceship will monitor
   the Sun's changing light, [9]solar wind, and [10]magnetic field not
   only from the usual perspective of Earth but also from above and below
   the Sun. [11]Pictured, a long duration exposure of the [12]launch of
   the [13]Solar Orbiter shows the graceful arc of the bright engines of
   [14]United Launch Alliance's [15]Atlas V rocket as they [16]lifted the
   satellite off the [17]Earth. Over the next few years, the [18]Solar
   Orbiter will use the [19]gravity of Earth and Venus to [20]veer out of
   the [21]plane of the planets and closer to the [22]Sun than Mercury.
   [23]Violent weather on the Sun, including [24]solar flares and
   [25]coronal mass ejections, has shown the ability to [26]interfere with
   power grids on the Earth and [27]communications satellites in Earth
   orbit. The Solar Orbiter is expected to coordinate observations with
   the also Sun-orbiting [28]Parker Solar [29]Probe [30]launched in 2018.

                Solar Orbiter to Space: [31]Watch the Launch
                       Tomorrow's picture: sky divide
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [43]Robert Nemiroff ([44]MTU) & [45]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([46]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [47]Specific rights apply.
              [48]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [49]ASD at [50]NASA / [51]GSFC
                           & [52]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2002/SolarOrbiterLaunch_Demeter_5000.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://500px.com/demeterderek
   5. https://www.seminolestate.edu/planet/
   6. https://www.esa.int/
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/
   8. https://www.nasa.gov/solar-orbiter
   9. https://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/SolarWind.shtml
  10. https://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/the_key.shtml
  11. https://www.instagram.com/p/B8Y60FKBxjK/
  12. https://youtu.be/-X-p5C4SLVo?t=1709
  13. https://sci.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter
  14. https://www.ulalaunch.com/
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_V
  16. https://sci.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/-/liftoff-for-solar-orbiter-esa-s-mission-to-face-the-sun-up-close
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170709.html
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Orbiter
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_assist
  20. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=4793
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170225.html
  22. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/overview/
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190526.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180902.html
  25. https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/the-difference-between-flares-and-cmes
  26. https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/sun_darkness.html
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stereo/news/stereo_1859.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200121.html
  29. http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180815.html
  31. https://youtu.be/-X-p5C4SLVo?t=1709
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200210.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  41. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=200211
  42. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200212.html
  43. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  44. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  45. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  46. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  47. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  49. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  50. https://www.nasa.gov/
  51. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  52. http://www.mtu.edu/