2019 October 2 Molecular Clouds in the Carina Nebula Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Explanation: They are not alive — but they are dying. The unusual forms found in the Carina nebula, a few of which are featured here, might best be described as evaporating. Energetic light and winds from near […]
2019 September 30 Orion Rising over Brazil Image Credit & Copyright: Carlos Fairbairn Explanation: Have you seen Orion lately? The next few months will be the best for seeing this familiar constellation as it rises continually earlier in the night. However, Orion’s stars and nebulas won
2019 September 29 MyCn 18: The Engraved Hourglass Planetary Nebula Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt Explanation: Do you see the hourglass shape — or does it see you? If you can picture it, the rings of MyCn 18 trace the outline of an hourglass — al
2019 September 28 An Analemma of the Sun Image Credit & Copyright: Gyorgy Soponyai Explanation: This week the equinox found the Sun near the middle, but not at the crossing point, of an analemma in its annual trek through planet Earth’s skies. In this scenic view, that graceful, figure-8-
2019 September 27 The Annotated Galactic Center Image Credit & Copyright: Miguel Claro (TWAN, Dark Sky Alqueva) Explanation: The center of our Milky Way galaxy can be found some 26,000 light-years away toward the constellation Sagittarius. Even on a dark night, you can’t really see it thou
2019 September 26 Da Vinci Rise Image Credit & Copyright: Likai Lin Explanation: An old Moon rose this morning, its waning sunlit crescent shining just above the eastern horizon before sunrise. But earthshine, light reflected from a bright planet Earth, lit the shadowed portion of the lunar dis
2019 September 25 The Pelican Nebula in Gas, Dust, and Stars Image Credit & Copyright: Yannick Akar Explanation: The Pelican Nebula is slowly being transformed. IC 5070, the official designation, is divided from the larger North America Nebula by a molecular cloud filled with dark dust. The Peli
2019 September 24 Sand Dunes Thawing on Mars Image Credit & License: ESA, Roscosmos, CaSSIS Explanation: What are these strange shapes on Mars? Defrosting sand dunes. As spring dawned on the Northern Hemisphere of Mars, dunes of sand near the pole, as pictured here in late May by ESA’s Exo
2019 September 23 Equinox: The Sun from Solstice to Solstice Image Credit & Copyright: Tunç Tezel (TWAN) Explanation: Today is an equinox, a date when day and night are equal. Tomorrow, and every day until the next equinox, the night will be longer than the day in Earth’s northern hemisphe
2019 September 22 Eye Sky a Dragon Image Credit & Copyright: Anton Komlev Explanation: What do you see when you look into this sky? In the center, in the dark, do you see a night sky filled with stars? Do you see a sunset to the left? Clouds all around? Do you see the central band of our Milky W
