Saturday, August 31, 2019

Orion in a Different Light


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a Spitzer Space Telescope image of Messier 42, The Great Nebula in Orion. Spitzer continues to operate, but because it ran out of helium coolant in 2009, the instrumentation is now restricted to two channels. The venerable instrument is scheduled to be retired in January of 2020. Too bad we don't have a space infrastructure to service such instruments!

How far we've come in looking at one of my favorite astronomical sights!


Friday, August 30, 2019

Cluster and Dust


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us an image of NGC 7129 and NGC 7142, a reflection (or dusty) nebula and an open cluster in the area of the constellation of Cepheus. Open clusters can vary from tight to very dispersed, even looking like a swarm of bees in some cases. There are wonders to hunt in the sky, even with a modest telescope by an "amateur" astronomer.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

A High Bar


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day combines data from several telescopic sources to produce a stunning image of face-on barred spiral galaxy, Messier 61 (part of a rich field of galaxies to hunt as an amateur, the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies).

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Towards the Core


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day takes us in the direction of the galactic core: clouds of dust and gas and an galactic-orbiting globular cluster (Messier 4) in the region of Rho Ophiuchi and Antares.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Omega


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is NGC 5139, better known as globular cluster Omega Centauri. 10 million stars in a volume of 150 light years, what a setting for a science fiction story.

Friday, August 23, 2019

California Dreaming


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is NGC 1499, near the constellation of Perseus. Popularly known as the California Nebula, this astronomical wonder is spread across a significant part of the sky. Imagine if it were bright enough to be seen with the naked eye!

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

If We Could See Deeper


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the constellation of Orion—if we could see "deeper". What wonderful structures! What vibrant colors! "Mouseover" the image in the link for a guide.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

At the Blue Event Horizon

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a short video depicting the region around a black hole, the accretion disc of gas and dust and debris falling into the singularity at the center. What lies beyond the blue event horizon?


Monday, August 19, 2019

Not a Saucer


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a...saucer? No, lenticular clouds over Mount Etna, lit by both the fires of the volcano and the reflected light of the Moon.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Early Image


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day dates from 1901. Astronomer and telescope designer George Ritchey captured this image of Messier 42, The Great Nebula of Orion, with a "sharpened" 24 inch reflecting telescope.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Winding Star Stuff


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us IC 1396, the Elephant's Trunk Nebula, a complex of dust and gases and protostars in the constellation of Cepheus.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

The Plough and the Cows


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows falling Perseids against the background of The Plough or The Big Dipper while a herd of cows gaze serenely on.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Lunar Encounter


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Saturn about to be eclipsed by the Moon. I got to see this "live" once and it is almost like watching a flying saucer come in for a landing on the Moon right until it disappears behind the Moon.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Cannon Ball


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a pulsar (a rotating neutron star) being expelled from the supernova (marked by an expanding bubble of gas) that created it.

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Friday, August 9, 2019

Arc of the Atlas


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the trail of an Atlas V launch from tower at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to the blue sky, framed in the dawn sky.

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Monday, August 5, 2019

Still Life with Total Eclipse


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us a lucky shot of the total solar eclipse of July 2019. A fantastic shot by a legendary "amateur" astrophotographer.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

On the Trail of the Dark


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a supernova in spiral galaxy NGC 4526, part of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. There's a long trail leading from speculation to theory to a Nobel Prize to more data to...where? We shall see!

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Friday, August 2, 2019

Deep in the Dark


Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us an image of the Chamaeleon II Dark Nebula, a dark star-forming region near the celestial South Pole.

Thursday, August 1, 2019