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.

                               2023 January 1
   [2]The featured image shows several streaks on a dark background with a
     pale blue dot in one of the streaks. Please see the explanation for
                         more detailed information.

                    The Largest Rock in our Solar System
               Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]Voyager 1 spacecraft

   Explanation: There, that dot on the right, that's the largest rock
   known in [5]our Solar System. It is larger than every known
   [6]asteroid, [7]moon, and [8]comet [9]nucleus. It is larger than any
   other [10]local rocky planet. This rock is so large its [11]gravity
   makes it into a large ball that holds heavy gases near its surface. (It
   used to be the largest [12]known rock of any type until the [13]recent
   discoveries of large dense [14]planets orbiting other stars.) The
   [15]Voyager 1 spacecraft took the [16]featured picture -- famously
   called [17]Pale Blue Dot -- of [18]this giant space rock in 1990 from
   the outer [19]Solar System. Today, this rock starts another orbit
   around its [20]parent star, for roughly the 5 billionth time, spinning
   over 350 times during each trip. [21]Happy [22]Gregorian Calendar New
   Year to all [23]inhabitants of this rock we call [24]Earth.

                      Tomorrow's picture: planets align
     __________________________________________________________________

      [25]< | [26]Archive | [27]Submissions | [28]Index | [29]Search |
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     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [36]Robert Nemiroff ([37]MTU) & [38]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([39]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [40]Specific rights apply.
              [41]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC,
                         [45]NASA Science Activation
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2301/PaleBlueDotOrig_Voyager1_960.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/in-depth/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100726.html
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211011.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210308.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200712.html
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_planet
  11. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/planets-round/en/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180507.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220814.html
  14. https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/what-is-an-exoplanet/in-depth/
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220909.html
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pale_Blue_Dot.png
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200214.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190214.html
  20. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/in-depth/
  21. https://i.pinimg.com/236x/bf/f5/d0/bff5d074d399bdfec6071e9168398406--so-funny-funny-pics.jpg
  22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190818.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220206.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221231.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  34. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230101
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230102.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  38. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  39. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/