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.

                                2026 March 22
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                                Leaving Earth
    Video Credit: [2]NASA, [3]JHU Applied Physics Lab, [4]Carnegie Inst.
                          Washington, [5]MESSENGER

   Explanation: What would it look like to leave planet Earth? Such an
   event was [6]recorded visually in great detail by the MESSENGER
   spacecraft as it swung back past the Earth in 2005 on its way in toward
   the [7]planet Mercury. Earth can be seen rotating in [8]this time-lapse
   video, as it recedes into the distance. The sunlit half of Earth is
   [9]so bright that background [10]stars are not visible. The [11]robotic
   MESSENGER spacecraft orbit around [12]Mercury from 2011 to 2015 has
   conducted the first [13]complete map of the surface. On occasion,
   [14]MESSENGER [15]peered back at its home world. MESSENGER is one of
   the few things created on the [16]Earth that will [17]never return. At
   the end of its mission, MESSENGER was purposefully crashed into
   [18]Mercury's surface.

                Almost Hyperspace: [19]Random APOD Generator
                      Tomorrow's picture: light pillars
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    Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([34]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [35]Specific rights apply.
            [36]NASA Web Privacy, [37]Accessibility, [38]Notices;
                A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC,
                         [42]NASA Science Activation
                           & [43]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://www.nasa.gov/
   3. https://messenger.jhuapl.edu/
   4. https://carnegiescience.edu/
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/messenger/
   6. https://messenger.jhuapl.edu/Explore/Videos.html
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/mercury/facts/
   8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFDjAfwmWKM
   9. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RYrGwwZZh3w/UY6H01FhfuI/AAAAAAAADCc/RJPqAsNoVfg/s400/Dogs-Wearing-Sunglasses-Drinking.jpg
  10. http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html#stars
  11. http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/About/Spacecraft-and-Instruments.html#spacecraft
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110331.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190428.html
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MESSENGER
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130723.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220206.html
  17. http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/About/Mission-Design.html#final-extended-mission
  18. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-completes-messenger-mission-with-expected-impact-on-mercurys-surface
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/random_apod.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260321.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  26. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  29. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260322
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260323.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  42. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  43. http://www.mtu.edu/