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Credit & Copyright: Neelam and Ajay Talwar
(TWAN)
Explanation:
Also known as the false dawn,
a luminous band of zodiacal light is captured in this dark night skyscape.
The serene view was recorded just before
the beginning of astronomical
twilight
during September's star party at the remote
Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, Ladakh, India, planet Earth.
At about 4,500 meters altitude, the dark sky reserve
presents a haven
for hardy stargazing and astrophotography enthusiasts.
While meteors streak through the night, bright planet Jupiter
appears immersed in the faint zodiacal glow near the eastern horizon.
Follow the zodiacal band
toward the zenith to find open star cluster M44
and a yellowish tinged planet Mars near the center of the frame.
In fact,
serendipitous
detections of interplanetary dust by
NASA's Juno spacecraft suggest Mars itself is the source of dust
that back scatters sunlight and creates
zodiacal
light in planet Earth's night.
APOD's main NASA site is
moving:
From apod.nasa.gov to
science.nasa.gov/apod
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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: zodiacal light
Publications with words: zodiacal light
See also: