标签： 月亮

2020 May 20 Moon, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Milk Way Image Credit & Copyright: Mihail Minkov Explanation: It is not a coincidence that planets line up. That’s because all of the planets orbit the Sun in (nearly) a single sheet called the plane of the ecliptic. When viewed from inside that plane — as Earth dwellers are likely to do — the pl...

2020 May 7 Analemma of the Moon Image Credit & Copyright: Gyorgy Soponyai Explanation: An analemma is that figure-8 curve you get when you mark the position of the Sun at the same time each day for one year. But the trick to imaging an analemma of the Moon is to wait bit longer. On average the Moon returns to the same position in the sky about 50 minute...

2020 April 15 A Cosmic Triangle Image Credit & Copyright: Scott Aspinall Explanation: It was an astronomical triple play. Setting on the left, just after sunset near the end of last month, was our Moon — showing a bright crescent phase. Setting on the right was Venus, the brightest planet in the evening sky last month — and this month, too. ...

2020 March 22 Moon Setting Behind Teide Volcano Video Credit & Copyright: Daniel López (El Cielo de Canarias); Music: Piano della Moon (Dan Silva) Explanation: These people are not in danger. What is coming down from the left is just the Moon, far in the distance. Luna appears so large here because she is being photographed through a telescopic lens. Wh...

2020 March 16 A Moon Dressed Like Saturn Image Credit & Copyright: Francisco Sojuel Explanation: Why does Saturn appear so big? It doesn’t — what is pictured are foreground clouds on Earth crossing in front of the Moon. The Moon shows a slight crescent phase with most of its surface visible by reflected Earthlight known as ashen glow. The Su...

2020 February 24 Moon Corona, Halo, and Arcs over Manitoba Image Credit & Copyright: Brent Mckean Explanation: Yes, but could you get to work on time if the Moon looked like this? As the photographer was preparing to drive to work, refraction, reflection, and even diffraction of moonlight from millions of falling ice crystals turned the familiar icon of ...

2019 November 28 Moon and Planets at Twilight Image Credit & Copyright: Petr Horálek Explanation: This week’s ongoing conjunction of Venus and Jupiter may have whetted your appetite for skygazing. Tonight is the main course though. On November 28, a young crescent Moon will join them posing next to the two bright planets above the western horizon a...

2019 October 5 Jupiter and the Moons Image Credit & Copyright: Derek Demeter (Emil Buehler Planetarium) Explanation: After sunset on October 3, some of the Solar System’s largest moons stood low along the western horizon with the largest planet. Just after nightfall, a pairing of the Moon approaching first quarter phase and Jupiter was captured in ...

2019 September 16 A Lunar Corona over Turin Image Credit & Copyright: Giorgia Hofer (Cortina Astronomical Association) Explanation: What are those colorful rings around the Moon? A corona. Rings like this will sometimes appear when the Moon is seen through thin clouds. The effect is created by the quantum mechanical diffraction of light around individual...

2019 August 3 Mimas in Saturnlight Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA Explanation: Peering from the shadows, the Saturn-facing hemisphere of Mimas lies in near darkness alongside a dramatic sunlit crescent. The mosaic was captured near the Cassini spacecraft’s final close approach on January 30, 2017. Cassini’s camera was poi...