Zodiacal Light
Credit & Copyright: D. Malin (AAO),
AATB
Explanation:
Sometimes the sky itself seems to glow.
Usually, this means you are seeing a
cloud reflecting
sunlight or moonlight.
If the glow appears as a faint band of light running across the
whole sky,
you are probably seeing the combined light
from the billions of stars that compose our
Milky Way Galaxy.
But if the glow
appears triangular and near the horizon,
you might be seeing something called
zodiacal light. Pictured above,
zodiacal light is just sunlight reflected by
tiny dust particles orbiting in our
Solar System.
Many of these particles were ejected by
comets.
Zodiacal light is easiest to see in September and
October just before sunrise from a very dark location.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
