2019 April 9 Moon Occults Saturn Image Credit & Copyright: Cory Schmitz Explanation: Sometimes Saturn disappears. It doesn’t really go away, though, it just disappears from view when our Moon moves in front. Such a Saturnian eclipse was visible along a small swath of Earth — from Br […]
2019 April 8 AZURE Vapor Tracers over Norway Image Credit & Copyright: Yang Sutie Explanation: What’s happening in the sky? The atmosphere over northern Norway appeared quite strange for about 30 minutes last Friday when colorful clouds, dots, and plumes suddenly appeared. The colors were
2019 April 7 A Scorpius Sky Spectacular Image Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Guisard, TWAN Explanation: If Scorpius looked this good to the unaided eye, humans might remember it better. Scorpius more typically appears as a few bright stars in a well-known but rarely pointed out zodiacal constellat
2019 April 6 ISS from Wallasey Image Credit & Copyright: Richard Addis Explanation: After sunset on March 28, the International Space Station climbed above the western horizon, as seen from Wallasey, England at the mouth of the River Mersey. Still glinting in the sunlight some 400 kilometers abo
2019 April 5 Pan-STARRS Across the Sky Image Credit: R. White (STScI) and the PS1 Science Consortium Explanation: This astronomical sky spanning view is a mosaic from the Pan-STARRS observatory. The images were recorded with its 1.8 meter telescope at the summit of Haleakala on planet Earth’s
2019 April 4 Messier 2 Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, G. Piotto et al. Explanation: After the Crab Nebula, M1, this giant star cluster is the second entry in 18th century astronomer Charles Messier’s famous list of things with are not comets. M2 is one of the largest globular star clust
2019 April 3 Wisps Surrounding the Horsehead Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Mario Zauner Explanation: The famous Horsehead Nebula in Orion is not alone. A deep exposure shows that the dark familiar shaped indentation, visible just below center, is part of a vast complex of absorbing dust and
2019 April 2 Space Station Silhouette on the Moon Image Credit & Copyright: Eric Holland Explanation: What’s that unusual spot on the Moon? It’s the International Space Station. Using precise timing, the Earth-orbiting space platform was photographed in front of a partially lit gibb
2019 April 1 Astronaut Kicks Lunar Field Goal Image Credit: NASA, Apollo 15 Team Explanation: Score three points for NASA. With time running out late in Apollo 15’s mission to the Moon in 1971, Astronaut David Scott prepared to split the uprights and bring about yet another dramatic end-of-the
2019 March 31 Markarian’s Chain of Galaxies Image Credit & Copyright: Sergio Kaminsky Explanation: Across the heart of the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies lies a striking string of galaxies known as Markarian’s Chain. The chain, pictured here, is highlighted on the right with two large but
