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Credit & Copyright: Babak Tafreshi
(TWAN)
Explanation:
The Henbury craters in the Northern Territory, Australia,
planet Earth, are the
scars
of an impact over 4,000 years old.
When an ancient
meteorite
fragmented into dozens of pieces,
the largest made the 180 meter diameter
crater whose weathered
walls and floor are lit in the foreground of this
southern
hemisphere nightscape.
The vertical panoramic view follows our magnificent Milky Way
galaxy stretching above horizon, its rich central starfields
cut by obscuring dust clouds.
A glance along the galactic plane also reveals
Alpha and Beta Centauri and the
stars of the Southern Cross.
Captured in the region's spectacular, dark skies,
the Small Magellanic Cloud, satellite of the Milky Way,
is the bright galaxy to the left.
Not the lights of a nearby town, the visible
glow on the horizon below it is the
Large Magellanic Cloud rising.
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Milky Way - crater
Publications with words: Milky Way - crater
See also: