Notices tagged with apod

♲ @apod@pod.jpope.org: APOD: 2019 February 18 - Dragon Aurora over Iceland https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190218.html

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1902/DragonAurora_Zhang_960.jpg



Have you ever seen a dragon in the sky? Although real flying dragons don't exist, a huge dragon-shaped aurora developed in the sky over Iceland earlier this month. The aurora was caused by a hole in the Sun's corona that expelled charged particles into a solar wind that followed a changing interplanetary magnetic field to Earth's magnetosphere. As some of those particles then struck Earth's atmosphere, they excited atoms which subsequently emitted light: aurora. This iconic display was so enthralling that the photographer's mother ran out to see it and was captured in the foreground. No sunspots have appeared on the Sun so far in February, making the multiple days of picturesque auroral activity this month somewhat surprising.

apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190218.ht…

#astronomy #picture #space #NASA #APOD apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190218.ht…

♲ @apod@pod.jpope.org: APOD: 2019 January 24 - Matterhorn, Moon, and Meteor https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190124.html

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1901/cervin1300vetter.jpg



Fans of planet Earth probably recognize the Matterhorn in the foreground of this night skyscape. Famed in mountaineering history, the 4,478 meter Alpine mountain stands next to the totally eclipsed Moon. In spite of -22 degree C temperatures, the inspired scene was captured on the morning of January 21 from the mountains near Zermatt, Switzerland. Different exposures record the dim red light reflected by the Moon fully immersed in Earth's shadow. Seen directly above the famous Alpine peak, but about 600 light-years away, are the stars of the Praesepe or Beehive star cluster also known as Messier 44. An added reward to the cold eclipse vigil, a bright and colorful meteor flashed below the temporarily dimmmed Moon, just tracing the Matterhorn's north-eastern climbing route along Hornli ridge.

apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190124.ht…

\#astronomy #picture #space #NASA #APOD apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190124.ht…

♲ @apod@pod.jpope.org: APOD: 2019 January 22 - Lunar Eclipse over Cologne Cathedral https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190122.html

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1901/LunarEclipseCologne_Junius_960.jpg



Why would a bright full Moon suddenly become dark? Because it entered the shadow of the Earth. That's what happened Sunday night as the Moon underwent a total lunar eclipse. Dubbed by some as a Super (because the Moon was angularly larger than usual, at least slightly) Blood (because the scattering of sunlight through the Earth's atmosphere makes an eclipsed Moon appeared unusually red) Wolf (because January full moons are sometimes called Wolf Moons from the legend that wolves like to howl at the moon) Moon Eclipse, the shadowy spectacle was visible from the half of the Earth then facing the Moon, and was captured in numerous spectacular photographs. Featured, a notable image sequence was captured over the Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Cologne, Germany. The lunar eclipse sequence was composed from 68 different exposures captured over three hours during freezing temperatures -- and later digitally combined and edited to remove a cyclist and a pedestrian. The next total lunar eclipse will occur in 2021.

apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190122.ht…

\#astronomy #picture #space #NASA #APOD apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190122.ht…