Starry Night Over the Rhone
Explanation:
How can the majesty of the night sky best be captured in a painting?
This was a continual challenge for
Vincent van Gogh, a famous painter in the late 1800s who pioneered stirring
depictions of
star filled skies into several of his works.
Pictured above is van Gogh's
Starry Night Over the Rhone, where the French town of
Arles is depicted complete with gas lights reflecting off the
Rhone river.
van Gogh's night sky appears alive with
turbulent stellar images contrasting with
lofty dark blue hues.
Above the river, one can discern the stars of the familiar Big Dipper asterism.
Following a line
connecting the two Big Dipper stars on the right, the
North Star
Polaris could be
easily found,
the height of which can then be
estimated
and actually gives the
latitude where the painting was
created.
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.
