                        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.

                                2025 March 8

                              Galaxies in Space
         Image Credit & License: NASA, ISS Expedition 72, Don Petit

   Explanation: The plane of our Milky Way galaxy extends beyond the limb
   of planet Earth in this space age exposure captured by astronaut Don
   Pettit. His camera, with low light and long duration settings, was
   pointed out the window of a Dragon crew spacecraft docked with the
   International Space Station on January 29. The orbital outpost was at
   an altitude of about 400 kilometers above the Pacific Ocean at the
   time. Motion blurs the Earth below, while the gorgeous view from low
   Earth orbit includes the Milky Way's prominent satellite galaxies,
   known as the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, near the upper left in
   the frame. Fans of southern skies can also spot the Southern Cross. The
   four brightest stars of the famous southern constellation Crux are near
   picture center, just beyond the edge of the bright horizon and shining
   through Earth's orange tinted atmospheric glow.

                   Tomorrow's picture: Cyclones on Jupiter
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

