2019 May 6 Virtual Flyby of the Whirlpool Galaxy Video Credit: F. Summers, J. DePasquale, and D. Player (STScI); Music: Into the Wormhole (Jingle Punks via Youtube) Explanation: What would it look like to fly over a spiral galaxy? To help visualize this, astronomers and animators at the Space Telesc […]
2019 May 5 Saturn, Titan, Rings, and Haze Image Credit: NASA, ESA, JPL, SSI, Cassini Imaging Team Explanation: This is not a solar eclipse. Pictured here is a busy vista of moons and rings taken at Saturn. The large circular object in the center of the image is Titan, the largest moon of Saturn and
2019 May 4 Saturn and the Da Vinci Glow Image Credit & Copyright: Tunc Tezel (TWAN) Explanation: On February 2nd early morning risers saw Saturn near an old Moon low on the eastern horizon. On that date bright planet, sunlit crescent, and faint lunar night side were captured in this predawn skys
2019 May 3 Clouds of the Large Magellanic Cloud Image Credit & Copyright: Team Ciel Austral J. C. Canonne, N. Outters, P. Bernhard, D. Chaplain, L. Bourgon Explanation: The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is an alluring sight in southern skies. But this deep and detailed telescopic view, over 10 mo
2019 May 2 Manicouagan Impact Crater from Space Image Credit: NASA, International Space Station Expedition 59 Explanation: Orbiting 400 kilometers above Quebec, Canada, planet Earth, the International Space Station Expedition 59 crew captured this snapshot of the broad St. Lawrence River and curious
2019 May 1 The Cat’s Eye Nebula in Optical and X-ray Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Legacy Archive; Chandra X-ray Obs.; Processing & Copyright: Rudy Pohl Explanation: To some it looks like a cat’s eye. To others, perhaps like a giant cosmic conch shell. It is actually one of brighte
2019 April 30 Meteor Misses Galaxy Image Credit: Aman Chokshi Explanation: The galaxy was never in danger. For one thing, the Triangulum galaxy (M33), pictured, is much bigger than the tiny grain of rock at the head of the meteor. For another, the galaxy is much farther away — in this instance
2019 April 29 N11: Star Clouds of the LMC Image Credit: NASA, ESA; Acknowledgement: Josh Lake Explanation: Massive stars, abrasive winds, mountains of dust, and energetic light sculpt one of the largest and most picturesque regions of star formation in the Local Group of Galaxies. Known as N11, the
2019 April 28 All of Mercury Image Credit: NASA/JHU Applied Physics Lab/Carnegie Inst. Washington Explanation: Only six years ago, the entire surface of planet Mercury was finally mapped. Detailed observations of the innermost planet’s surprising crust began when the robotic have been ongoing
2019 April 27 The Galaxy, the Jet, and the Black Hole Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration Explanation: Bright elliptical galaxy Messier 87 (M87) is home to the supermassive black hole captured by planet Earth’s Event Horizon Telescope in the first ever image
