                        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.

                              2024 December 28

                           A December Winter Night
                 Image Credit & Copyright: Włodzimierz Bubak

   Explanation: Orion seems to come up sideways, climbing over a distant
   mountain range in this deep skyscape. The wintry scene was captured
   from southern Poland on the northern hemisphere's long solstice night.
   Otherwise unseen nebulae hang in the sky, revealed by the camera
   modified to record red hydrogen-alpha light. The nebulae lie near the
   edge of the Orion molecular cloud and join the Hunter's familiar belt
   stars and bright giants Betelgeuse and Rigel. Eye of Taurus the Bull,
   yellowish Aldebaran anchors the V-shaped Hyades star cluster near top
   center. Still, near opposition in planet Earth's sky, the Solar
   System's ruling gas giant Jupiter is the brightest celestial beacon
   above this horizon's snowy peaks.

                         Tomorrow's picture: frozen
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
                NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

