Starship Asterisk*

Another fine picture but with a very thin astronomical link.

As an aside, I've walked on the slopes of that volcano, it is just outside Baños in Ecuador. Hot springs were the towns tourist mark.

huh? 8)

Great photo. The cloud formation indicates high winds around the top of the mountain which you can see in the blown shape of the dust cloud.

Splendid, dramatic photo!

Having just watched the 'Lord of the Rings' triology again as it was transmitted on terrestrial UK Tv for the first time, this could be the model for Mt.Doom!

John
(I know - it's a story!)

huh?

Astronomy picture of the day. Like the rainbows the other day, (meteorology picture of the day?), the astronomical pedgree of the volcano picture, (geological picture of the day?), is somewhat lacking.

There have been many APOD's which have little or nothing to do with astronomy is all I'm saying.

adrianxw wrote:

huh?

Astronomy picture of the day. Like the rainbows the other day, (meteorology picture of the day?), the astronomical pedgree of the volcano picture, (geological picture of the day?), is somewhat lacking.

There have been many APOD's which have little or nothing to do with astronomy is all I'm saying.

Ah, but APOD originates from NASA doesn't it?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
They are concerned with other things than just space exploration. Not least is the weather and other things which may affect space flight and launches.
And one of the reasons they go up there is to better understand our own planet.
Yeah, its not comets and stars, but it is relevant to APOD.

JohnD wrote:Splendid, dramatic photo!

Having just watched the 'Lord of the Rings' triology again as it was transmitted on terrestrial UK Tv for the first time, this could be the model for Mt.Doom!

John
(I know - it's a story!)

I cannot believe you said that John. It was the first thing that I thought when I saw it. I was looking for two very small people on a rock...

Don't see that it matters where it comes from. It is called Astronomy picture of the day, and several recent images have not been astronomical.

adrianxw wrote:Don't see that it matters where it comes from. It is called Astronomy picture of the day, and several recent images have not been astronomical.

Granted, the image does have "some" bearing about astronomy. I also agree that the image would have been more suited to EPOD, the Earth Sciences Picture Of the Day. There is so many astronomy pictures that would be great to see up here, why the images of earth stuff? This is THE site for astronomy, at least it was the last time I looked, so how about some more astronomy and far less earth based shots, please?

I enjoy them. I think sometimes they run out of astronomy ones and end up rehashing older ones from time to time. I say using a really neat photo of very loose or questionable relevance is a little better than rehashing. Just as long as it doesn't happen too commonly. I am a little surprised to have 2 in one month. I think if I could request one photo presently it would be of one with light shining in that hole in mars.

Perhaps the thin thread between a this volcanic eruption and astronomy could have been made a little thicker with the identification of the specific area of sky behind.
But more importantly: A mention of a direct connection between volcanic dust in the atmosphere and astronomical viewing or perhaps its effect on the color and brightness of a total lunar eclipse might have helped to make it more astronomical.

I agree; I love the volcano picture, but would expect to see it somewhere else besides APOD.