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.

2022 October 13
The featured image shows many circular rings surrounding a central star. Other stars are visible in
an otherwise dark field.
Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

Dust Shells around WR 140 from Webb
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, JWST, MIRI, ERS Program 1349; Processing: Judy Schmidt

There are strange rings. The rings are probably 3D shells, but how they were made remains a topic of research. They were created in a system that is 6,000 light years away from the constellation of the Swan. Wolf-Rayet stars are large and bright. Heavy elements such as carbon are created and dispersed by them. The other star isn't as active as the other one. The two stars approach each other about eight times a decade. The X-ray emission from the system increases when it's closest to the ground. More details and more dust shells can be seen in the featured IR image by the new space telescope.

Tomorrow's picture: falcon and hunter < | Archive | Submissions | Index | Search | Calendar | RSS | Education | About APOD | Discuss | >

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.


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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.

2022 October 14
See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download
the highest resolution version available.

The Falcon and the Hunter's Moon
Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Seeley

Explanation: The Full Moon of October 9th was the second Full Moon after the northern hemisphere autumnal equinox, traditionally called the Hunter's Moon. According to lore, the name is a fitting one because this Full Moon lights the night during a time for hunting in preparation for the coming winter months. In this snapshot, a nearly full Hunter's Moon was captured just after sunset on October 8, rising in skies over Florida's Space Coast. Rising from planet Earth a Falcon 9 rocket pierces the bright lunar disk from the photographer's vantage point. Ripples and fringes along the edge of the lunar disk appear as supersonic shock waves generated by the rocket's passage change the atmosphere's index of refraction.


Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend

< | Archive | Submissions | Index | Search | Calendar | RSS | Education | About APOD | Discuss | >

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation
& Michigan Tech. U.