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Credit & Copyright: Chris
Schur
Explanation:
This evening's skyscape includes a view similar
to
this one, recorded in western skies on April 16 - an orange-hued
planet Mars wandering near rich open star
cluster M35.
Also notable is fainter star cluster
NGC 2158,
just above and left of M35.
The grouping appears near the "foot stars" of the
constellation Gemini,
but of course Mars is in the foreground, just over 14
light-minutes from planet Earth.
The hundreds of stars in cluster M35 are more
like 3,000 light-years distant.
NGC 2158 is farther still, about 16,000 light-years away and
is much more compact than M35.
The color
image shows off the contrast between hot blue stars
and cooler yellowish stars within the confines of M35.
But the stars of NGC 2158 are much older,
and that cluster's light is definitely
dominated by the orange glow of cool giant stars,
making an interesting
visual comparison to ruddy-colored Mars.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
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: Mars - M 35 - NGC 2158
Publications with words: Mars - M 35 - NGC 2158
See also:
- Open Star Clusters M35 and NGC 2158
- Full Moon, Full Mars
- APOD: 2025 January 15 Á Wolf Moon Engulfs Mars
- APOD: 2024 December 3 Á Ice Clouds over a Red Planet
- APOD: 2024 November 10 Á Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars
- APOD: 2024 September 9 Á Mars: Moon, Craters, and Volcanos
- APOD: 2024 June 5 Á Shadow of a Martian Robot