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.
Explanation: This is a sky filled
with glowing icons. On the far left is the familiar constellation of Orion, divided by its iconic
three-aligned belt stars and featuring the
famous Orion Nebula, both partly encircled
by Barnard's Loop. Just left of center in
the featured image is the brightest star in the night: Sirius. Arching across the
image center is the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy. On the far right, near
the top, are the two brightest satellite galaxies of the Milky Way:
the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and
the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Also on the
far right -- just above the cloudy horizon -- is the constellation of Crux, complete with the four
stars that make the iconic Southern Cross. The featured image is
a composite of 18 consecutive exposures taken by the same camera and from the
same location in eastern Australia during the last
days of last year. In the foreground, picturesque basalt columns of the Bombo Quarry part to reveal the vast Pacific Ocean.
Tomorrow's picture: big galaxy approaches
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