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 July 1
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                      The Solar System's Planet Trails
                  Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Zheng Zhi

   Explanation: Stars trail through a clear morning sky in this postcard
   from [5]a rotating planet. The timelapse image is constructed from
   consecutive exposures made over nearly three hours with a camera fixed
   to a tripod beside the Forbidden City in Beijing, China on June 24.
   Arcing above the eastern horizon after the series of exposures began, a
   waning crescent Moon left the brightest streak and watery reflection.
   On that date the [6]planets of the Solar System were also [7]lined up
   along the ecliptic and left their own trails before sunrise. Saturn was
   first to rise on that morning and the ringed planet's trail starts
   close to the top right edge, almost out of the frame. Innermost planet
   Mercury rose only just before the Sun though. It left the shortest
   trail, visible against the twilight near the horizon at the far left.
   Uranus and Neptune are faint and hard to find, but mingled with the
   star trails the [8]Solar System's planet trails are all labeled in the
   scene.

                  Tomorrow's picture: analemmas from a can
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    Authors & editors: [20]Robert Nemiroff ([21]MTU) & [22]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([23]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [24]Specific rights apply.
              [25]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [26]ASD at [27]NASA / [28]GSFC
                           & [29]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2207/Star-trail-of-planets.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://instagram.com/lifelens
   5. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/
   6. https://earthsky.org/tonight/rare-planetary-lineup-morning-june-2022/
   7. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4827325410704973
   8. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/overview/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220630.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  13. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  18. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220701
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220702.html
  20. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  21. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  23. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  25. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  26. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  29. http://www.mtu.edu/