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 February 27
   [2]A person is seen sitting on a rock under an unusual sky. In the sky
     above is light diffuse band extending down to the horizon that goes
    through two bright dots, Jupiter and Venus. The Pleiades star cluster
     is visible above them. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                     Zodiacal Ray with Venus and Jupiter
        Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Ruslan Merzlyakov ([4]astrorms)

   Explanation: What's causing that unusual ray of light extending from
   the horizon? [5]Dust orbiting the Sun. At certain times of the year, a
   band of [6]sun-reflecting dust from the inner [7]Solar System appears
   prominently after sunset or before sunrise and is called [8]zodiacal
   light. The dust was emitted mostly from faint [9]Jupiter-family comets
   and slowly spirals into the [10]Sun. The [11]featured HDR image,
   acquired in mid-February from the [12]Sierra Nevada National Park in
   [13]Spain, captures the glowing band of [14]zodiacal light going right
   in front of the bright evening planets [15]Jupiter (upper) and
   [16]Venus (lower). Emitted from well behind the [17]zodiacal light is a
   dark night sky that prominently [18]includes the [19]Pleiades star
   cluster. Jupiter and Venus are [20]slowly switching places in the
   [21]evening sky, and just in the next few days nearing their
   [22]closest angular approach.

                       Tomorrow's picture: temple moon
     __________________________________________________________________

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     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [38]Specific rights apply.
              [39]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC,
                         [43]NASA Science Activation
                           & [44]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2302/ZodiacalPlanets_Merzlyakov_960.jpg
   3. https://www.facebook.com/astrorms
   4. https://www.instagram.com/astrorms/
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010813.html
   6. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0591/9784/9807/products/cat-with-sunglasses-advanced-animals-cats-paint-by-numbers-global-figuredart-free-shipping_972_530x@2x.jpg?v=1630503707
   7. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/overview/
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiacal_light
   9. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/J/Jupiter-family+Comets
  10. https://www.nasa.gov/sun
  11. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoxNplTtlsr/
  12. https://youtu.be/6Jv7oaTCrlg
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221023.html
  15. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/jupiter/in-depth/
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220329.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120405.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2302/ZodiacalPlanets_Merzlyakov_960_annotated.jpg
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221205.html
  20. https://youtu.be/hcgj6KsR-fc
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151108.html
  22. https://www.universetoday.com/160199/cosmic-conjunction-jupiter-meets-venus-on-march-1st/
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230226.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230227
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230228.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  44. http://www.mtu.edu/