                        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.

                                2023 June 20
   Two identical images are shown side by side. On each, a silhouette of a
   person holding a long stick is shown standing on a rock before the sea.
   Above the person, running diagonally, is the central band of our Milky
   Way Galaxy. On the right image, a type of bird called a Nandu is shown
    in outline. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                         The Ñandú in the Milky Way
     Image Credit & Copyright: Fefo Bouvier; Line Drawing: Alfonso Rosso

   Explanation: Have you seen the bird in the Milky Way? Beyond the man in
   the Moon, the night sky is filled with stories, and cultures throughout
   history have projected some of their most enduring legends onto the
   stars and dust above. Generations of people see these celestial icons,
   hear their associated stories, and pass them down. Pictured here is not
   only a segment of the central band of our Milky Way galaxy, but,
   according to folklore of several native peoples of Uruguay, the outline
   of a great bird called Ñandú. Furthermore, Ñandú's footprint is
   associated with the Southern Cross asterism. In the foreground, in
   silhouette, is a statue of María Micaela Guyunusa, an indigenous woman
   of the Charrúa people who lived in the 1800s and endures as a symbol of
   colonial resistance. The composite image was taken in mid-April in Cabo
   Polonio, Uruguay, with the Atlantic Ocean in the background.

                   Tomorrow's picture: the way of the Sun
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

