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.

                              2021 February 25
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                                A Venus Flyby
     Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JHUAPL, [5]Naval Research Lab, Guillermo
                       Stenborg and Brendan Gallagher

   Explanation: [6]On a mission to explore the inner heliosphere and solar
   corona, on July 11, 2020 the Wide-field Imager on board NASA's
   [7]Parker Solar Probe captured [8]this stunning view of the nightside
   of Venus at distance of about 12,400 kilometers (7,693 miles). The
   spacecraft was making the third of seven gravity-assist [9]flybys of
   the inner planet. The gravity-asssist flybys are designed to [10]use
   the approach to Venus to help the probe alter its orbit to ultimately
   come within 6 million kilometers (4 million miles) of the solar surface
   in late 2025. A surprising image, the side-looking camera seems to peer
   through the clouds to show a dark feature near the center known as
   Aphrodite Terra, the largest highland region on [11]the Venusian
   surface. The bright rim at the edge of the planet is nightglow likely
   emitted by excited oxygen atoms recombining into molecules in the upper
   reaches of the atmosphere. Bright streaks and blemishes throughout the
   image are likely due to energetic charged particles, and dust near the
   camera reflecting sunlight. [12]Skygazers from planet Earth probably
   recognize the familiar stars of Orion's belt and sword at lower right.

                        Tomorrow's picture: fly over
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply.
              [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2102/wispr_venus_image.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.jhuapl.edu/
   5. https://www.nrl.navy.mil/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191209.html
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/parker-solar-probe
   8. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/parker-solar-probe-offers-a-stunning-view-of-venus
   9. https://blogs.nasa.gov/parkersolarprobe/2021/02/19/parker-solar-probe-primed-for-fourth-venus-flyby/
  10. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/basics/primer/
  11. https://blogs.nasa.gov/parkersolarprobe/2021/02/19/parker-solar-probe-primed-for-fourth-venus-flyby/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201225.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210224.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=210225
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210226.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/