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Astronomy Picture Of the Day (APOD)
The Heart and Soul Nebulas
10.08.2005
Is the heart and soul of our Galaxy located in Cassiopeia? Possibly not, but that is where two bright emission nebulas nicknamed Heart and Soul can be found. The Heart Nebula, officially dubbed IC 1805 and visible above on the right, has a shape reminiscent of a classical heart symbol.
The Belt of Venus over Elwood Beach
9.08.2005
Although you've surely seen it, you might not have noticed it. During a cloudless twilight, just before sunrise or after sunset, part of the atmosphere above the horizon appears slightly off-color, slightly pink.
Mars to Appear Normal this August
8.08.2005
Will Mars appear extremely close and bright later this month? No. Regardless of numerous urban legends circulating, Mars will a relatively normal August. October is the best month to see Mars this year. The red planet is now visible in the morning before sunrise.
Dueling Auroras
7.08.2005
Will it be curtains for one of these auroras? A quick inspection indicates that it is curtains for both, as the designation "curtains" well categorizes the type of aurora pattern pictured. Another (informal) type is the corona.
Raining Perseids
6.08.2005
Comet dust rained down on planet Earth last August, streaking through dark skies in the annual Perseid meteor shower. So, while enjoying the anticipated space weather, astronomer Fred Bruenjes recorded a series of many 30 second long exposures spanning about six hours on the night of August 11/12 using a wide angle lens.
HD 188753: Triple Sunset
5.08.2005
Although it looks like fiction, this artist's vision of sunset on an alien world is based on fact -- the recent discovery of a hot, jupiter-sized planet orbiting in triple star system HD 188753.
Stars Young and Old
4.08.2005
Galactic or open star clusters are relatively young swarms of bright stars born together near the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy. Separated by about a degree on the sky, two nice examples...
The Busy Center of the Lagoon Nebula
3.08.2005
Stars are battling gas and dust in the Lagoon Nebula but the photographers are winning. Also known as M8, this photogenic nebula is visible even without binoculars towards the constellation of Sagittarius. The energetic processes of star formation create not only the colors but the chaos.
A Shuttle Back Flip at the Space Station
2.08.2005
Last week, crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) watched carefully as the Space Shuttle Discovery did a planned but unusual back flip upon approach. Discovery Commander Eileen Collins guided the shuttle through the flip, which was about 200 meters from the ISS when the above picture was taken.
2003 UB 313: A Tenth Planet?
1.08.2005
Has a tenth planet been discovered? A newly discovered object, designated 2003 UB 313 and located more than twice the distance of Pluto, is expected to be at least as large as Pluto and probably larger, given current measurements.
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