Starship Asterisk*

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100813.jpg Arp 286: Trio in Virgo Explanation: A remarkable telescopic composition in yellow and blue, this scene features a trio of interacting galaxies almost 90 million light-years away, toward the constellation Virgo . On the left, two, spiky , foreground Mi...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100812.jpg Perseid Prelude Explanation: Each August, as planet Earth swings through dust trailing along the orbit of periodic comet Swift-Tuttle , skygazers can enjoy the Perseids Meteor Shower . The shower should build to its peak now , best seen from later ton...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100811.jpg Crepuscular Rays Over Lake Michigan Explanation: What could cause such rays of dark? Dark sky rays were caught in spectacular fashion earlier last month from Pentwater , Michigan , USA , looking west over Lake Michigan . The cause is something surpris...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100810.jpg The Sand Dunes of Titan Explanation: Why do some sand dunes on Titan appear backwards? Central Titan , it turns out, is covered by sand , some of which appears strange. Images from the Cassini spacecraft currently orbiting Saturn have uncovered long r...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100809.jpg IRAS 05437 2502: An Enigmatic Star Cloud from Hubble Explanation: What's lighting up nebula IRAS 05437+2502? No one is sure. Particularly enigmatic is the bright upside-down V that defines the upper edge of this floating mountain of interstellar dust ...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100808.jpg Two Hours Before Neptune Explanation: Two hours before closest approach to Neptune in 1989, the Voyager 2 robot spacecraft snapped this picture . Clearly visible for the first time were long light-colored cirrus -type clouds floating high in Neptune's...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100807.jpg Rainbow at Sunset Explanation: Where is the Sun when you see a rainbow? Behind you, of course . But you can see both a rainbow and the Sun (far right) side by side in this graceful panorama recorded on July 28. The cloudy sunset view covers a full 360...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100806.jpg The Not So Quiet Sun Explanation: After a long solar minimum , the Sun is no longer so quiet . On August 1, this extreme ultraviolet snapshot of the Sun from the Solar Dynanimcs Observatory captured a complex burst of activity playing across the Sun's...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100805.jpg M8: The Lagoon Nebula Explanation: This beautiful cosmic cloud is a popular stop on telescopic tours of the constellation Sagittarius . Eighteenth century cosmic tourist Charles Messier cataloged the bright nebula as M8 . Modern day astronomers recogn...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100804.jpg Eclipse Shadow Cone Over Patagonia Explanation: Sometimes, during a total eclipse of the Sun, a strange shadow of darkness can be seen stretching off into the distance. Called shadow cones, they are visible because the Earth's atmosphere is not comple...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100803.jpg The Planet and the Radio Dish Explanation: What planet is this? Although seemingly something out of The Little Prince , the planet is actually Earth. More specifically, it is a small part of the Earth incorporated into a four image stereographic "...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100802.jpg Prometheus Creating Saturn Ring Streamers Explanation: What's causing those strange dark streaks in the rings of Saturn? Prometheus . Specifically, an orbital dance involving Saturn's moon Prometheus keeps creating unusual light and dark streamers in ...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100801.jpg Venus Once Molten Surface Explanation: If you could look across Venus with radar eyes, what might you see? This computer reconstruction of the surface of Venus was created from data from the Magellan spacecraft. Magellan orbited Venus and used radar t...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100731.jpg Four Planet Sunset Explanation: This mesmerizing sunset photo was taken from the summit of volcanic Mount Lawu , 3,265 meters above sea level, on July 21. The view looks west, toward the city lights of Surakarta (aka Solo), Central Java, Indonesia . T...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100730.jpg Eclipse on the Beach Explanation: As the New Moon's shadow slid across the southern Pacific on July 11, people gathered along the white, sandy Anakena Beach on the north side of Easter Island to watch a total solar eclipse . The experience was capture...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100729.jpg Sunset, Shadowrise Explanation: From central Australia, this serene 360 degree panorama follows a clear horizon as twilight began on May 28. At left, a bright western sky is still illuminated by the setting Sun. But sweeping right, toward a view cente...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100728.jpg The Trifid Nebula is Stars and Dust Explanation: Unspeakable beauty and unimaginable bedlam can be found together in the Trifid Nebula . Also known as M20, this photogenic nebula is visible with good binoculars towards the constellation of Sagittarius...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100727.jpg The Milky Way Over Bryce Canyon Explanation: What are those strange rock structures? They are towers and walls of sedimentary rock that are particularly plentiful in Bryce Canyon in Utah , USA . The rock columns may rise higher than 50 meters and are ...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100726.jpg Lutetia: The Largest Asteroid Yet Visited Explanation: As humans explore the universe, the record for largest asteroid visited by a spacecraft has increased yet again. Earlier this month, ESA's robotic Rosetta spacecraft zipped past the asteroid 21 Lu...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100725.jpg Happy People Dancing on Planet Earth Explanation: What are these humans doing? Dancing. Many humans on Earth exhibit periods of happiness, and one method of displaying happiness is dancing. Happiness and dancing transcend political boundaries and occu...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100724.jpg Diamond Ring and Shadow Bands Explanation: As the total phase of July 11's solar eclipse came to an end, sunlight streaming past the edge of the Moon's silhouette created the fleeting appearance of a glistening diamond ring in the sky. Seen through a ...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100723.jpg Messier 76 Explanation: "Nebula at the right foot of Andromeda ... " begins the description for the 76th object in Charles Messier's 18th century Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters . In fact, M76 is one of the fainter objects on the Messie...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100722.jpg The Meteor of 1860 Explanation: Frederic Church (1826-1900), American landscape painter of the Hudson River School, painted what he saw in nature. And on July 20th, 1860, he saw a spectacular string of fireball meteors cross the Catskill evening sky, ...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100721.jpg The Crown of the Sun Explanation: During a total solar eclipse, the Sun's extensive outer atmosphere, or corona, is an inspirational sight. Subtle shades and shimmering features that engage the eye span a brightness range of over 10,000 to 1, making t...

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100720.jpg Lightning Over Athens Explanation: Have you ever watched a lightning storm in awe? Join the crowd. Oddly, nobody knows exactly how lightning is produced. What is known is that charges slowly separate in some clouds causing rapid electrical discharges ...