From the Mountains to the Moon

Today's Astronomy of the Day shows the Moon rising over the Alps (did you know there are also Alps on the Moon?). Off to the side of the Moon, a small star. Wait...that's no star...that's a giant planet!

Sisters in Shroud

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us the Pleiades star cluster, visible from the naked eye to binoculars to rich-field telescopes, in the constellation of Taurus.

Many a night from yonder ivied casement, ere I went to rest,

Did I look on great Orion sloping slowly to the West.

Many a night I saw the Pleiads, rising thro' the mellow shade,

Glitter like a swarm of fire-flies tangled in a silver braid.

(Locksley Hall by Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

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!

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.

Member of the List

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows Messier 27, in the constellation of Vulpecula. People honor Charles Messier for his list of things to avoid in the sky (because they are not comets), but how many remember any of Messier's comets?

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).

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.

Angel in the Unicorn

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows NGC 2170, the Angel Nebula, in the constellation of Mono

Cruise Phase

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a short video showing the view of Earth from the Mercury-bound MESSENGER vehicle.

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.

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!

Spiral Edge

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 4945 in the constellation of Centaurus.

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.

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?

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.

Colony Vehicle

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day illustrates just what being a human (or a dog) means. We're more than what meets the eye!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Out of the Radiant

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the Perseid Meteor Shower over the skies of Slovakia in 2019.

Galactic Crackup

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a Hubble Space Telescope image of Arp 87, NGC 3808A and NGC 3808B, post collision, showing a bridge of matter still linking the two.

Elephant Talk

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day focuses on Messier 16, The Eagle Nebula in the constellation of Serpens Cauda, featuring the "elephant trunks" known as The Pillars of Creation.

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.

On the Ridge

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us an image of Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity at Teal Ridge, continuing explorations of Gale Crater on Mars.

Jupiter Engulfed

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day has Jupiter captured in stony jaws while riding the flood of the Milky Way.

Large Structure

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day charts large extra-galactic structure in our "local" part of the universe. Might I recommend a little reading?

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.

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!

From Crescent to Full

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a Cassini Orbiter image of Saturn's heavily-cratered moon Mimas. "Mouseover" the image in the link to switch from full to crescent views.

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.

The Flame That Burns Twice As Brightly

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows G292.0+1.8, a supernova remnant in the region of Far Centaurus. The image was taken by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, in service for twenty years in orbit.

Eat Them Up, Yum

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us an image of IC 1795 in the constellation of Cassiopeia, resembling a fish head to some.

No Night Without Stars

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a nebular region seemingly without stars. They are there...they just haven't been born yet.

Sparks

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows active weather in the skies of Guatemala.

Shifting

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us "visible" and infrared views of the North American Nebula in the constellation of Cygnus. "Mouseover" the image in the link to switch between the views.

Fire To The Moon

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MkIII lofting India's Chandrayaan 2 mission (orbiter, lander and rover) to the Moon.

Tracery

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows delicate cloud tracery across the sky as noctilucent clouds move over Sweden.

Cygnus Starscape

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows rich starfields and nebular shapes in the region of Cygnus the Swan.

Erosion of the System

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day captures zodiacal light, dust in our solar system, possibly created by eroding comets (so to speak).

The Wind Between the Stars

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day brings us Messier 82, the Cigar Galaxy, enhanced and processed to show filments of gas and dust being driven by a galactic superwind.

Shadow Crossing

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the shadow of the Earth crossing the face of the Moon during last week's lunar eclipse.

Active Moon

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is from the Sea of Tranquility during the mission of Apollo 11. Buzz Aldrin stands near the deployed Passive Seismic Experiment. It seems that our "dead" moon is surprisingly active. What causes this activity? Meteor hits? Collapsing faults? Giant moon beasts?

View from the Eagle

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a panoramic view from Apollo 11's Lunar Module, Eagle in the Sea of Tranquility.

Why haven't we been back?

Tranquility Base

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a panoramic view from Tranquility Base, landing site of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969.

Why haven't we been back? Or gone further?

Shadows

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the Moon, cast in a reddish light due to the shadow of the Earth, obscured by a shadowy mountain.

First Landing

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a short video of the descent of Eagle (Apollo 11) to the Sea of Tranquility. (Artwork above by Robert McCall, depicting the descent, including inset views of what would have been seen from the windows of the Lunar Module. Artwork below by Pierre Mion showing the unexpected obstacle in the final part of the descent, when the Lunar Module came dangerously close to landing in a rock field)