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.

                                2022 March 28
    [2]An image of the sky over a small island in the Maldives. The dark
   sky contains the Southern Cross and the stars Alpha Centauri and Hadar.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                          Gems of a Maldivean Night
   Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Petr Horálek ([4]ESO [5]Photo Ambassador,
                        [6]Inst. of Physics in Opava)

   Explanation: The southernmost part of the Milky Way contains not only
   the stars of the Southern Cross, but the closest star system to our Sun
   -- Alpha Centauri. The [7]Southern Cross itself is topped by the
   bright, yellowish star [8]Gamma Crucis. A line from Gamma Crucis
   through the blue star at the bottom of the cross, [9]Acrux, points
   toward the south [10]celestial pole, located just above the small
   island in the [11]featured picture -- taken in early March. That island
   is [12]Madivaru of the [13]Maldives in the [14]Indian Ocean. Against
   faint [15]Milky Way starlight, the dark [16]Coal Sack Nebula lies just
   left of the cross, while farther left along the [17]Milky Way are the
   bright stars [18]Alpha Centauri (left) and [19]Beta Centauri (Hadar).
   Alpha Centauri A, a Sun-like star anchoring a three-star system with
   [20]exoplanets, is a mere 4.3 [21]light-years distant. [22]Seen from
   Alpha Centauri, our own Sun would be a bright [23]yellowish star in the
   otherwise [24]recognizable constellation Cassiopeia.

                Almost Hyperspace: [25]Random APOD Generator
                      Tomorrow's picture: planet planet
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    Authors & editors: [37]Robert Nemiroff ([38]MTU) & [39]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([40]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [41]Specific rights apply.
              [42]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2203/SouthIsland_Horalek_1326.jpg
   3. https://www.petrhoralek.com/#about-1
   4. https://www.eso.org/
   5. https://www.eso.org/public/outreach/partnerships/photo-ambassadors/
   6. https://www.slu.cz/phys/en/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210125.html
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gacrux
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrux
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_pole
  11. https://www.petrhoralek.com/?p=22973
  12. https://youtu.be/bBI-q7ewXD4
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldives
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ocean
  15. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/285/the-milky-way-galaxy/
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap960503.html
  17. http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galaxy.html
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Centauri
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_Centauri
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160825.html
  21. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
  22. https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/picture-of-a-cat-on-a-white-background-looking-up-picture-id182176351
  23. http://solar-center.stanford.edu/SID/activities/GreenSun.html
  24. https://earthsky.org/constellations/constellation-cassiopeia-the-queen-lady-of-the-chair-how-to-find-history-myth/
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/random_apod.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220327.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  35. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220328
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220329.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  39. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  40. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  41. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/