Elektrine
Log in Register

#apod

23 posts · Last used 4d

Back to Timeline
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · 4d ago
Contemplating the Sun Image Credit & Copyright: Steven Gilbert Explanation: Have you contemplated your home star recently? Featured here, a Sun partially eclipsed on the top left by the Moon is also seen eclipsed by earthlings contemplating the eclipse below. This spectacular menagerie of silhouettes was taken in 2012 from the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area near Page, Arizona, USA, where park rangers and astronomers expounded on the unusual event to interested gatherers. Also, faintly visible on the Sun's disk, just to the lower right of the dark Moon's disk, is a group of sunspots. A new solar eclipse will occur this week and give many people in northern North America, Europe, and northwestern Africa a new chance to contemplate a partially eclipsed Sun. A thin swath of Earth through Greenland and Spain will further experience a total solar eclipse. An open question is whether any meteors from the peaking Perseids will be visible during totality. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260809.html #apod
0
0
0
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Aug 04, 2026
Curious Cometary Knots in the Helix Nebula Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, JWST; Processing: A. Pagan (STScI) Explanation: What causes unusual knots of gas and dust in planetary nebulas? Seen also in the Ring Nebula, the Dumbbell Nebula and NGC 2392, the knots' existence was not initially predicted, and their origins are still not well understood. Pictured here is a fascinating image of part of the Helix Nebula by the James Webb Space Telescope showing tremendous detail in infrared light. The cometary knots have masses similar to the Earth but have sizes typically several times the orbit of Pluto. One hypothesis for the fragmentation and evolution of the knots includes existing gas being driven out by a less dense but highly energetic stellar wind of the central evolving star. The Helix Nebula is one of the closest examples of a planetary nebula created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star. Given a technical designation of NGC 7293, the Helix Nebula lies about 650 light-years away towards the constellation of Water Carrier (Aquarius). https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260804.html #apod
0
0
0
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Aug 02, 2026
Boosted by Trending Bot @trending@homestead.social
A Fire Rainbow over West Virginia Image Credit & Copyright: Christa Harbig Explanation: What's happening to this cloud? Ice crystals in a distant cirrus cloud are acting like little floating prisms. Known informally as a fire rainbow for its flame-like appearance, a circumhorizon arc appears parallel to the horizon. For a circumhorizontal arc to be visible, the Sun must be at least 58 degrees high in a sky where cirrus clouds present below -- in this case cirrus fibratus. The numerous, flat, hexagonal ice-crystals that compose the cirrus cloud must be aligned horizontally to properly refract sunlight in a collectively similar manner. Therefore, circumhorizontal arcs are somewhat unusual to see. The featured fire rainbow was photographed in 2021 near North Fork Mountain in West Virginia, USA. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260802.html #apod
0
0
1
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Jul 30, 2026
Red Sun through Wildfire Smoke Image Credit & Copyright: Debra Ceravolo Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II) Explanation: This could be the view from an exoplanet orbiting around a red dwarf star, but it is our own Sun. This image was taken on July 22, 2026, in the Okanagan region in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Wildfire smoke from the Pacific Northwest acted as a solar filter, allowing the photographer to take this photo of the Sun directly. Several sunspots are also visible in this eerie image; just below and right of the center is AR 4493, a fast evolving, giant active solar region and sunspot group. The smoke is made of tiny particles that help block and scatter light with bluer colors, so the light we see coming from the Sun is dimmer and redder than usual (but it is never safe to stare directly at the Sun). Sunsets and sunrises are also more colorful because of the smoke. Some 6 billion years from now, the Sun will actually start to turn redder as it approaches its red giant phase. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260730.html #apod
0
0
0
grobi
grobi @grobi@defcon.social · Jul 22, 2026
Replying to on defcon.social

2026 July 23

The Large Magellanic Cloud

Explanation: Have you ever seen another galaxy with your own eyes? The featured image shows the Large Magellanic Cloud (or LMC), one of the closest neighbors of our Milky Way. If you are anywhere south of latitude 20° N (but the further south, the better), you can see it with the naked eye if you go to a dark sky location, away from big cities and light polution. It is a dwarf irregular galaxy about 163,000 light-years away, and a member of our Local Group of galaxies. Despite being small, with a total mass approximately equivalent to 10% - 20% of the mass of the Milky Way, the LMC is very actively forming stars. This is likely due to the gravitational push and pull of tides caused by the Milky Way on the LMC. Astronomers predict that it will collide with the Milky Way in in about 2 billion years. https://www.youcanseethemilkyway.com/blog/what-galaxies-can-you-see-with-the-naked-eye https://www.instagram.com/p/Da5kVNrkSwA/?img_index=1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Magellanic_Cloud https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/milkyway1.html https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/latitude.html https://www.astronomy.com/observing/take-a-closer-look-at-the-large-magellanic-cloud/ https://esahubble.org/wordbank/dwarf-galaxy/ https://science.nasa.gov/universe/galaxies/types/#irregular-galaxies http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/localgr.html https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260219.html https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ad1f58/pdf https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1687425961065-46efeb465c66 https://www.sci.news/astronomy/large-magellanic-cloud-milky-way-collision-06788.html

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260723.html

#space #astronomy #science #astrophotography #photography #nature #star #NASA #apod

6
1
0
grobi
grobi @grobi@defcon.social · Jul 27, 2026
Replying to @grobi@defcon.social

2026 July 28

Barnards Loop over Twin Volcanoes

Explanation: What's connecting these two volcanoes? In ancient folklore, the two volcanoes, Parinacota (left) and Pomerape (right), are connected by representing a mythical prince and princess who engaged in a forbidden romance. Beneath the ground, the two peaks are not known to be connected by a common pool of hot magma, and neither volcano has erupted in the past 1000 years. Above the ground, there is usually nothing in the sky that connects them -- except if you use careful timing and look from a specific location. The featured well-planned image was captured from Bolivia in mid-April with a series of camera exposures taken on the same day and from the same location. Then, Barnard's Loop appeared to connect the volcanic peaks. Also visible in the image is the Orion Nebula in the center, the star Betelgeuse on the right, and the Rosette Nebula on the upper right. https://youtu.be/Jwpue5dq_wA?t=171 https://qhapaqnan.qiri.cl/ancient-legends/ https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/parinacota-volcano-south-america-76144/ https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap051002.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DXpszcJCY6n/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivia https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090224.html https://science.nasa.gov/universe/what-is-betelgeuse-inside-the-strange-volatile-star/ https://science.nasa.gov/universe/what-is-betelgeuse-inside-the-strange-volatile-star/ https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200329.html

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260728.html

#space #astronomy #science #astrophotography #photography #nature #star #NASA #apod

24
1
12
santiago
Santiago 🔭🪐 @santiago@mastodon.uy · Jul 27, 2026
Astronomy Picture Of the Day (APOD) en ANSI art en Tilde-UnderNET #astronomy #ansi #ascii #plaintext #apod #tilde #undernet #uruguay
0
0
0
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Jul 26, 2026
Simulation TNG50: A Galaxy Cluster Forms Video Credit: IllustrisTNG Project; Visualization: Dylan Nelson (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics) et al. Music: Symphony No. 5 (Ludwig van Beethoven), via YouTube Audio Library Explanation: How do clusters of galaxies form? Since our universe moves too slowly to watch, faster-moving computer simulations are created to help find out. One famous effort is TNG50 from IllustrisTNG, an upgrade of the famous Illustris Simulation. The first part of the featured video tracks cosmic gas (mostly hydrogen) as it evolves into galaxies and galaxy clusters from the early universe to today, with brighter colors marking faster moving gas. As the universe matures, gas falls into gravitational wells, galaxies forms, galaxies spin, galaxies collide and merge, all while black holes form in galaxy centers and expel surrounding gas at high speeds. The second half of the video switches to tracking stars, showing a galaxy cluster coming together, complete with stellar streams. The outflow from black holes in TNG50 is surprisingly complex and details are being compared with our real universe. Studying how gas coalesced in the early universe helps humanity better understand how our Earth, Sun, and Solar System originally formed. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260726.html #apod
0
0
0
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Jul 23, 2026
The Large Magellanic Cloud Image Credit & Copyright: Monica Mesa Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II) Explanation: Have you ever seen another galaxy with your own eyes? The featured image shows the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of the closest neighbors of our Milky Way. If you are anywhere south of latitude 20° N (but the further south, the better), you can see it with the unaided eye if you go to a dark sky location, away from big cities and light polution. It is a dwarf irregular galaxy about 163,000 light-years away, and a member of our Local Group of galaxies. Despite being small, with a total mass approximately equivalent to 10% - 20% of the mass of the Milky Way, the LMC is very actively forming stars. This is likely due in part to the gravitational push and pull of tides caused by the Milky Way on the LMC. Some astronomers have predicted that it will collide with the Milky Way in in about 2 billion years. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260723.html #apod
0
0
0
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Jul 23, 2026
The Corona Australis Molecular Cloud and the Chandelier Cluster Image Credit: DES/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA Image Processing: T.A. Rector (UAA/NOIRLab), R. Colombari & M. Zamani (NOIRLab) Text: Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II) Explanation: The Southern Crown (Corona Australis) dazzles with young and ancient celestial jewels. The Corona Australis Cloud is a collage of reflection and emission nebulae on the left of today’s image. At 430 light years away, this cloud is one of the closest star-forming regions to Earth. It contains gas cool enough (-260 Celsius or -440 Fahrenheit) to collapse into protostars. Recently formed stars paint blue hues across the cloud as their light reflects off surrounding material. The waltz of the R Coronae Australis binary system stirs up the nebula NGC 6729. The younger of the pair ionizes nearby gas with its ultraviolet light, causing it to glow. The Chandelier Cluster (NGC 6723) dangles from the top right, but is actually tens of thousands of light years farther away than its apparent star-forming neighbor. While NGC 6723 experienced multiple periods of star formation creating slightly younger stars, the chandelier twinkles with stars almost as old as the universe. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260722.html #apod
0
0
0
astronomybot
Astronomy Bot @astronomybot@mastodon.world · Jul 20, 2026
Astronomy photo of the day: NGC 3576: The Statue of Liberty Nebula. Copyright: Logan Carpenter Explanation: What's happening in the Statue of Liberty nebula. Bright stars and interesting molecules are forming and being liberated. The complex nebula resides in the star forming region called RCW 57, and besides the iconic monument, to some looks like a flying superhero or a weeping angel #APOD
1
0
1
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Jul 13, 2026
Galaxy NGC 474: Shells and Star Streams Image Credit & License: CFHT, Coelum, MegaCam, J.-C. Cuillandre (CFHT) & G. A. Anselmi (Coelum) Explanation: What's happening to galaxy NGC 474? The multiple layers of emission appear strangely complex given the relatively featureless appearance of the elliptical galaxy in less deep images. The cause of the shells is a topic of research, but they are possibly tidal tails related to debris left over from absorbing numerous small galaxies in the past billion years. Alternatively, the shells may be like ripples in a pond, where the ongoing collision with the spiral galaxy just to the right of NGC 474 is causing density waves to ripple through the galactic giant. Regardless of the actual cause, the featured image dramatically highlights the increasing evidence that the halos of some elliptical galaxies are surprisingly complicated. Similarly, the halo of our own Milky Way Galaxy is one example of such unexpected intricacies. NGC 474 spans about 250,000 light years and lies about 100 million light years distant toward the constellation of the Fish (Pisces). https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260712.html #apod
0
0
0
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Jul 09, 2026
Three Galaxies in Pavo Image Credit & Copyright: Mike Selby Explanation: Some 190 million light-years away, far beyond the bright stars and nebulae of the Milky Way, these three galaxies are drawn together by gravity in a mesmerizing cosmic dance. Clearly distorted by galactic-scale gravitational interactions, large spiral galaxies NGC 6769 and NGC 6770 are seen face-on, with luminous galactic disks scarred by obscuring interstellar dust lanes. Their young blue star clusters along drawn out spiral arms are spawned in star forming regions that resulted from collisions of massive molecular clouds. Below, spiral NGC 6771 presents a more edge-on perspective, its boxy central bulge due to tidal star streams. Of course, in the distant future a merger of the three galaxies is inevitable. At the estimated distance of this galaxy trio, known to some as the Devil's Mask, the sharp telescopic frame spans over 300 thousand light-years within the boundaries of the far southern constellation Pavo. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260703.html #apod
0
0
0
mkwadee
Khurram Wadee ✅ @mkwadee@mastodon.org.uk · Jun 30, 2026
Unusually Smooth Sections of #Asteroid #Itokawa #Astronomy #Picture of the Day https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260630.html #APOD
0
0
2
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Jun 29, 2026
AR 4478: Giant Sunspot Group Image Credit & Copyright: Alfredo Vidal Pérez Explanation: Right now, one of the largest sunspot groups in recent history is crossing the Sun. Active Region 4478 is not only big -- it's violent, showing tangled magnetic fields capable of throwing off huge clouds of particles into the Solar System. Some of these CMEs might impact the Earth. At the extreme, these solar storms could cause some Earth-orbiting satellites to malfunction, the Earth's atmosphere to slightly distort, and electrical power grids to surge. When impacting Earth's upper atmosphere, these particles can produce beautiful auroras. Pictured here, AR 4478 and its dark sunspots were captured in visible light a few days ago from Barcelona, Spain. Almost as large as AR 3664 was in 2024, the AR 4478 sunspot group is so big that it is visible just with glasses specially designed to view solar eclipses. This week, skygazing enthusiasts all over the globe will not only be tracking AR 4478 during the day -- but keenly watching night skies for its corresponding bright auroras. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260628.html #apod
0
0
0
mkwadee
Khurram Wadee ✅ @mkwadee@mastodon.org.uk · Jun 28, 2026
#AR4478: Giant #Sunspot Group #Astronomy #Picture of the Day https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260628.html #APOD #Sun
2
0
0
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · May 30, 2026
A Martian Eclipse: Phobos Crosses the Sun Video Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, ASU MSSS, SSI Explanation: What's that passing in front of the Sun? It looks like a moon, but it can't be Earth's Moon, because it isn't round. It's the Martian moon Phobos. The featured video was taken from the surface of Mars in 2022 by the Perseverance rover. Phobos, at 11.5 kilometers across, is 150 times smaller than Luna (our moon) in diameter, but also 50 times closer to its parent planet. In fact, Phobos is so close to Mars that it is expected to break up and crash into Mars within the next 50 million years. In the near term, the low orbit of Phobos results in more rapid solar eclipses than seen from Earth. The featured video is shown in real time -- the transit really took about 40 seconds, as shown. The videographer -- the robotic rover Perseverance (Percy) -- continues to explore Jezero Crater on Mars, searching not only for clues to the watery history of the now dry world, but evidence of ancient microbial life. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260524.html #apod
0
0
0
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Apr 30, 2026
CG 30: Cometary Globules Image Credit & Copyright: Marcelo Salemme Explanation: They're like mountain peaks, but they are forming stars. Bright-rimmed, flowing shapes gather near the center of this rich starfield toward the borders of the nautical southern constellations Puppis and Vela. Composed of interstellar gas and dust, the grouping of light-year sized cometary globules is about 1300 light-years distant. Energetic ultraviolet light from nearby hot stars has molded the globules and ionized their bright rims. The globules also stream away from the Vela supernova remnant which may have influenced their swept-back shapes. Within them, cores of cold gas and dust are likely collapsing to form low mass stars whose formation will ultimately cause the globules to disperse. In fact, cometary globule CG 30 (upper right in the group) sports a small reddish glow inside its head, a telltale sign of energetic jets from a star in the early stages of formation. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260428.html #apod
0
0
0
apod
Astronomy Picture of the Day @apod@reentry.codl.fr · Apr 27, 2026
Boosted by hypebot @hypebot@tacocat.space
Comet R3 PanSTARRS Behind Satellite Trails Image Credit & Copyright: Uli Fehr Explanation: Can you find the comet? Somewhere through this web of satellite trails is Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS), a bright visitor passing through the inner Solar System. Now, the orbiting satellites themselves only appear as streaks because of the long camera exposure, over 10 minutes in this case. On the contrary, to the eye, satellites appear as points that drift slowly across the night sky and shine by reflecting sunlight -- primarily just after sunset and before sunrise. The featured image was taken just before sunrise two weeks ago from Bavaria, Germany. Presently, Comet R3 PanSTARRS is hard to see for even another reason -- because it is so (angularly) close to the Sun. As the comet rounds the Sun, it will be best seen in coming weeks from southern hemispheree skies, although then it will be heading out to interstellar space and fading. If you haven't yet found the comet, don't despair; please take a closer look just above the image center. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260427.html #apod
0
11
0