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 29
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                           SOFIA's Southern Lights
        Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Ian Griffin ([5]Otago Museum)

   Explanation: SOFIA, the [6]Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared
   Astronomy, is a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a [7]large
   reflecting telescope into the stratosphere. The ability of the airborne
   facility to climb above about 99 percent of Earth's infrared-blocking
   atmosphere has allowed researchers to observe from almost anywhere over
   the planet. [8]On a science mission flying deep into the southern
   auroral oval, astronomer Ian Griffin, director of New Zealand’s Otago
   Museum, [9]captured this view from the observatory's south facing
   starboard side on July 17. Bright star Canopus shines in the southern
   night above curtains of [10]aurora australis, or southern lights. The
   plane was [11]flying far south of New Zealand at the time at roughly 62
   degrees southern latitude. Unfortunately, [12]after a landing at
   Christchurch severe weather damaged SOFIA requiring repairs and the
   cancellation of the remainder of its final southern hemisphere
   deployment.

                     Tomorrow's picture: an eagle rises
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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]NASA Science Activation
                           & [34]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2207/ASC05954-Edit.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://twitter.com/iangriffin
   5. https://otagomuseum.nz/
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/index.html
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060225.html
   8. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150117/southern-nights-with-lights
   9. https://vimeo.com/731166058?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=73339908
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150704.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010210.html
  12. https://blogs.nasa.gov/sofia/2022/07/21/sofia-adjusts-science-planning-following-damage-to-aircraft/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220728.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=220729
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220730.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. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  34. http://www.mtu.edu/