Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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.

                              2024 December 29
        [2]A frozen lake is shown that appears quite blue. Many oval
    light-colored bubbles are frozen into the ice, many times in columns.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                    Methane Bubbles Frozen in Lake Baikal
                Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Kristina Makeeva

   Explanation: What are these bubbles frozen into Lake Baikal?
   [4]Methane. Lake Baikal, a [5]UNESCO [6]World Heritage Site in
   [7]Russia, is the world's largest (by volume), oldest, and deepest
   lake, containing over 20% of the world's fresh water. The lake is also
   a vast storehouse of methane, a [8]greenhouse gas that, if released,
   could potentially increase the amount of [9]infrared light absorbed by
   [10]Earth's atmosphere, and so increase the average temperature of the
   [11]entire planet. Fortunately, the amount of [12]methane currently
   [13]bubbling out is not climatologically important. It is not clear
   [14]what would happen, though, were temperatures to significantly
   increase in [15]the region, or if the water level in [16]Lake Baikal
   were to drop. [17]Pictured, bubbles of rising [18]methane froze during
   winter into the exceptionally [19]clear ice covering the lake.

              Jigsaw Challenge: [20]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
                    Tomorrow's picture: our sun's future
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    Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([35]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [36]Specific rights apply.
            [37]NASA Web Privacy, [38]Accessibility, [39]Notices;
                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC,
                         [43]NASA Science Activation
                           & [44]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2412/BaikalBubbles_Makeeva_1000.jpg
   3. https://www.flickr.com/photos/23502952@N03/
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves/
  10. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/atmosphere/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220206.html
  12. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236143909_Sources_and_sinks_of_methane_in_Lake_Baikal_A_synthesis_of_measurements_and_modeling
  13. https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2785/unexpected-future-boost-of-methane-possible-from-arctic-permafrost/
  14. http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2016/12/lake-baikal.html
  15. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/30/siberian-craters-big-releases-of-methane-could-pose-broad-problems.html
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Baikal
  17. https://petapixel.com/2017/01/17/photographing-frozen-baikal-deepest-oldest-lake-earth/
  18. http://www.lakescientist.com/frozen-methane-gas-supports-life-lake-baikal/
  19. https://youtu.be/r_izDyWAid4
  20. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241228.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  27. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  30. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241229
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241230.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  44. http://www.mtu.edu/