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                           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.   
      
                                 2021 December 19   
      
                          Planetary Alignment over Italy   
                     Image Credit & Copyright: Antonio Finazzi   
      
      Explanation: It is not a coincidence that planets line up. That's   
      because all of the planets orbit the Sun in (nearly) a single sheet   
      called the plane of the ecliptic. When viewed from inside that plane --   
      as Earth dwellers are likely to do -- the planets all appear confined   
      to a single band. It is a coincidence, though, when three of the   
      brightest planets all appear in nearly the same direction. Such a   
      coincidence was captured earlier this month. Featured above (right to   
      left), Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter were all imaged together in a line   
      just after sunset, from the San Fermo Hills, Bergamo, Italy. Joining   
      the alignment are Earth's Moon, and the position of the more distant   
      Uranus. Bands of clouds streak across the sky toward the setting Sun.   
      As Comet Leonard fades, this planetary alignment -- absent the Moon --   
      should persist for the rest of the month.   
      
      Discovery + Outreach: Graduate student research position open for APOD   
                        Tomorrow's picture: comet fireball   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
               NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.   
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                         A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC   
                                & Michigan Tech. U.   
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