银河
Treasure chest across the sky
The Milky Way shines like a glorious treasure chest in the sky above California.
During springtime, the Milky Way lies level with the horizon, and it's easy to see that we are looking out of the plane of our galaxy.
The real show comes in a few months, when the richness of the summer sky is exemplified by the splendor of the Milky Way. Stretching from the northern horizon in Perseus, through the cross-shaped constellation Cygnus overhead, and down to Sagittarius in the south, the Milky Way is packed with riches. These riches include star clusters, nebulae, double stars, and variable stars.
飞行中的火箭
Sky rocket in flight
This image shows a Minuteman III rocket after lift-off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This was a test with an inert warhead.
Brian Webb imaged the rocket from the mountains north of Santa Barbara, California.
梅西叶二重唱
A Messier duo
Ursa Major the Great Bear is a picture window into the universe's depths. While hundreds of galaxies lie within its borders, only a few are in the range of most binoculars. M81 (left) and M82 (right) are two of these challenging exceptions.
螃蟹
The Crab's glow
The Crab Nebula (M1) has fascinated generations of observers since Chinese astronomers witnessed its supernova explosion July 4, 1054. The Crab Nebula's colorful and distinct features offer astronomers clues to the universe's evolution. The more detail scientists can see, the more information they can learn about an object.
Paolo Candy imaged the nebula from Cimini Astronomical Observatory and Planetarium in Soriano nel Cimino, Italy.
猎手与牛
The hunter and bull
On a cold December morning, Wally Pacholka imaged the constellations Orion (left) and Taurus (right). He photographed the hunter and bull from Joshua Tree National Park in California.
土星
Saturn shines
Saturn remains visible all evening during April. On the 1st, it doesn't set until 5 A.M. local time, but it dips below the horizon 2 hours earlier by the 30th. Shining at magnitude 0.2, it's easily the brightest object in Cancer the Crab. Binoculars will show the Beehive star cluster (M44) just 3° east of Saturn. A waxing gibbous Moon joins the pair April 6, when it passes 4° north of the planet.
When viewed through a telescope, you should notice Saturn appears about 10-percent smaller than it did at opposition in late January. The planet's disk extends 19" at midmonth, while the ring system's long axis spans 42". As you view the rings, note the dark Cassini Division, which separates the outer A ring from the brighter B ring. You also should see the planet's shadow falling on the rings just east of the globe.
Any scope also reveals Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Glowing at magnitude 8.4, it can be spotted throughout its 16-day orbit of the planet. You'll find Titan due north of Saturn April 6 and 22 and due south April 14 and 30.
Saturn's other moons pose more of a challenge. Tethys, Dione, and Rhea all glow at 10th magnitude, but the last proves easiest to find because, of the three, it orbits farthest from the planet's glare. Expect to find it with a 3-inch scope. You'll need double that aperture to see Tethys and Dione clearly. Two-faced Iapetus lies east of Saturn this month, pointing its darker hemisphere in our direction. It glows around 12th magnitude, so you'll need an 8-inch scope to spot it.
高空看到的远古遗迹
Ancient ruins from space
In September 2003, Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite took this image of Machu Picchu in Peru. Although no one is certain, it is estimated the ancient Incan city was built between 1460 and 1470 A.D.
Tourist traffic through the ruins have forced the Peruvian government to place restrictions on access of the site.
To the right of the image, you can see the winding roads to lead to the ruins from Aguas Caliente. Tourist buses can be seen navigating these roads.
Picture of the day archives
天文圣堂
Astronomy shrine
This image, captured by Astronomy Senior Editor Michael E. Bakich, shows Galileo's tomb in the Church of San Croce in Florence, Italy.
Michael joins Astronomy Editor Daivd J. Eicher in a tour of Italy and Greece, which culminates with observation of the March 29 total solar eclipse.
The path of totality begins on Brazil's coast. After crossing the Atlantic, the track traverses northern Africa, the eastern Mediterranean, and parts of Asia before ending in Siberia.
The highlights of any eclipse come just before, during, and after totality. If you are fortunate enough to be on the path, look for Baily's beads as the last rays of sunlight peek through lunar valleys. The diamond ring is the final glint of this light. During totality, watch for reddish prominences and the ethereal corona. After totality, the diamond ring and Baily's beads appear once more. To avoid blindness, view the partial phases only indirectly or with a proper solar filter.
生生不息
(和狮子王的主题曲的名字一样啊~)
Circles of life
In February 2006, the European Space Agency's Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer captured this image of the Al Kufrah Oasis, in southeastern Libya.
The region sustained caravan routes and served as a bandit stronghold for centuries.
The main towns are Al-Jawf, At-Tulaylib, and At-Tallab.
极光:
A bright meteor streaks past a colorful auroral curtain near Chena, Alaska. Marvin Nauman