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.

                                2025 March 8
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                              Galaxies in Space
     Image Credit & [3]License: [4]NASA, [5]ISS Expedition 72, Don Petit

   Explanation: The plane of our Milky Way [6]galaxy extends beyond the
   limb of planet Earth in this [7]space age exposure captured by
   astronaut Don Pettit. [8]His camera, with low light and long duration
   settings, was pointed [9]out the window of a Dragon crew spacecraft
   docked with the International Space Station on January 29. The orbital
   outpost was at an altitude of about 400 kilometers above the Pacific
   Ocean at the time. Motion blurs the Earth below, while the gorgeous
   view from low Earth orbit includes the Milky Way's prominent satellite
   galaxies, known as the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, near the
   upper left in the frame. Fans of [10]southern skies can also spot the
   Southern Cross. The [11]four brightest stars of the famous southern
   constellation Crux are near picture center, just beyond the edge of the
   bright horizon and shining through Earth's orange tinted atmospheric
   glow.

                   Tomorrow's picture: Cyclones on Jupiter
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    Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([26]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [27]Specific rights apply.
              [28]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC,
                         [32]NASA Science Activation
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2503/iss072e574593_DonPetit2048.jpg
   3. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/
   5. https://www.nasa.gov/mission/expedition-72/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151107.html
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/03/05/crew-works-vein-scans-and-muscle-stimulation-prior-to-upcoming-departure/
   8. https://earthsky.org/todays-image/earth-and-the-milky-way-don-pettit-photo/
   9. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/54342367145/in/album-72177720312887519/
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211001.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080707.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250307.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  21. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250308
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250309.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  32. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/