Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2020 October 11

                  Milky Way over the Pinnacles in Australia
                    Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Goh

   Explanation: What strange world is this? Earth. In the foreground of
   the featured image are the Pinnacles, unusual rock spires in Nambung
   National Park in Western Australia. Made of ancient sea shells
   (limestone), how these human-sized picturesque spires formed remains
   unknown. In the background, just past the end of the central Pinnacle,
   is a bright crescent Moon. The eerie glow around the Moon is mostly
   zodiacal light, sunlight reflected by dust grains orbiting between the
   planets in the Solar System. Arching across the top is the central band
   of our Milky Way Galaxy. Many famous stars and nebulas are also visible
   in the background night sky. The featured 29-panel panorama was taken
   and composed in 2015 September after detailed planning that involved
   the Moon, the rock spires, and their corresponding shadows. Even so,
   the strong zodiacal light was a pleasant surprise.

                    Tomorrow's picture: asteroid descent
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
                             & Michigan Tech. U.


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