Starship Asterisk*

I, too, don't mind the occasional, infrequent video. In this particular case, I don't see how a still picture could have conveyed to essence of this phenomenon. And for me, the most interesting aspect of today's entry is knowing that these images were not shown in time-lapse. I don't know what the p...

I followed the listed link to the April 2010 APOD of NGC 1055 but found that I had to rotate it approximately 80 degrees to the right and then flip it horizontally to make it match the perspective of today's photo. Differences in rotation I can understand, but what accounts for the reversal of the i...

Laying on my back, head facing north. Okay, now I've got it. Thanks.

The sky itself becomes a map of its own independent from the east and west of the Earth. Note that east is to the "left" and west is to the "right" in astro imagery because we are looking up instead of down. (Wait, is that why east and west seem like they're reversed? Did I get ...

As someone who has long loved APOD and visits this site daily, but one having no training in astronomy, please help me get my head around the phrase, "Alnitak, the easternmost star in the Belt of Orion." Easternmost? Is that true for both the northern and southern hemispheres? For all seas...

Intriguing video. However, I was surprised and put off by the statement at the end saying that "heights of the features have been exaggerated 10 times." For what purpose was that necessary?

Yesterday's teaser caption, "Pixels in Space," had me curious to know how it specifically applies to today's gorgeous "Eclipse at Moonset" photo. However, before posting this comment just now, I opened APOD in another browser window and returned to yesterday's entry only to disco...

Here is another one, conveniently at the same orientation and set of filters. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120913.html Another one? To my untrained eye, it is the same image; certainly the description, including all the links, are exactly the same. I've been a long-time, though somewhat casual viewe...

Here is another one, conveniently at the same orientation and set of filters. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120913.html Another one? To my untrained eye, it is the same image; certainly the description, including all the links, are exactly the same. I've been a long-time, though somewhat casual viewe...

Ann wrote:The Coalsack is clearly the dark shape at upper center, but I can't spot the Southern Cross.

All I see in the upper left is Orion's belt.

Russ

Intriguing picture. However, in a very aptronymic way, the link to "the Spectre of the Brocken" is broken.

Russ

I'm curious to know what the diagonal white streak is that appears on the central face of Mount Semeru.

Bright moonlight I understand, but this appears to be almost full daylight. I wonder what time of the night or early morning hours this image was taken and what length of exposure was used to capture this much light?

Agreed, this is a marvelous photo. However, the explanation fails to report from where on the US east coast it was taken. Jerry's (the photographer) website see he hails from Philadelphia. Can anyone tell us more specifically where this image was captured?

"Craggily" is not a word. You mean craggy or cragged. Every author of English is afforded the opportunity to create new words, which may or may not enter popular usage. I think "craggily" is a rather nice word. You're so right, Chris, but not only that, "craggily" IS a...

I wonder how it compares with Earth's rift valleys? My first thought was: How does it compare to the Marianas Trench on Earth? Wikipedia says that this geologic structure in the Western Pacific Ocean is almost as long (at 2,550 km) and deeper (10.9 km at its maximum depth), though not nearly as wid...