                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2022 October 7

                            In Ganymede's Shadow
                  Image Credit & Copyright: Andrew McCarthy

   Explanation: At opposition, opposite the Sun in Earth's sky, late last
   month Jupiter is also approaching perihelion, the closest point to the
   Sun in its elliptical orbit, early next year. That makes Jupiter
   exceptionally close to our fair planet, currently resulting in
   excellent views of the Solar System's ruling gas giant. On September
   27, this sharp image of Jupiter was recorded with a small telescope
   from a backyard in Florence, Arizona. The stacked video frames reveal
   the massive world bounded by planet girdling winds. Dark belts and
   light zones span the gas giant, along with rotating oval storms and its
   signature Great Red Spot. Galilean moon Ganymede is below and right in
   the frame. The Solar System's largest moon and its shadow are in
   transit across the southern Jovian cloud tops.

                      Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

