APOD: The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia (2011 Aug 10)

[APOD Robot]

The Summer Triangle Over Catalonia

Explanation: Can you find the Summer Triangle? It's not hard to find this famous triangle of stars this time of year from northern locations. Just look straight up after sunset and find three of the brightest stars in the sky that nearly form a triangle. Then compare these stars to sky images like the one shown above, or hold up a smart phone running a good sky labelling application. The three stars that form the vertexes of the Summer Triangle are Vega, Deneb, and Altair. Pictured above is a 360 degree full sky projection framing not only the Summer Triangle but the great arch of our Milky Way Galaxy. The image was taken last week in front of a small river that encircles the historic town of Sant Llorenç de la Muga in Catalonia, northeastern Spain.

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[Beyond]

I like the smart phone, but it looks a bit complicated. I also wonder just whose pocket it would fit in??

[Dr Jimbo]

To be picky - any three points that aren't in a straight line form a triangle.

[Gerald Higgins]

Dr Jimbo - yes, that's what I was going to say.

Can anyone find three stars that DON'T form a triangle ?

The actual text says that they "nearly form a triangle"
In what way does the shape they form fall short of a triangle ?

Pedantic I know, sorry

[neufer]

Can anyone find three stars that DON'T form a triangle ?

The actual text says that they "nearly form a triangle"
In what way does the shape they form fall short of a triangle ?

One does have to first 'connect the dots'
(after which they "nearly form a right triangle").

[Magellan Starswarm]

Worst APOD ever.

[owlice]

Worst APOD ever.

What, it's missing Joni Mitchell?

[biddie67]

I have such a difficulty in picking out the stars - really appreciate the annotated copy!

Is that part of an old aquaduct on the other side of the river?

The picture is an interesting distortion. Camera lens can do such unexpected perspectives - I'd like to see a series of flat pictures so I can tell what that area (with the land and sky) really looks like ....

[biddie67]

One does have to first 'connect the dots'
(after which they "nearly form a right triangle").

To the neufer :: Thanks for making the missed implicit clearly explicit !!!

[orin stepanek]

I don't understand the purpose of the foliage at the top of the picture; but it does make it interesting.

[Ann]

It is a very beautiful image. It is artistic and evocative rather than "scientific", but what the heck - we sure need those APODs, too! Like Biddie67, I appreciate the annotated version.

Ann

[moonstruck]

Very beautiful scene even without the triangle. Thanks Juan.

[RickM]

I don't understand the purpose of the foliage at the top of the picture; but it does make it interesting.

It's a 360-degree image (see http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090213.html for a clearer example). Apparently in this case the camera is not pointing straight up, so the trees on the other side of the river are not as distorted... but the foliage at the top of the picture is treetops behind the viewer. Bend over backwards in a cleaering in the woods and you'll see something similar.

[Beyond]

Can anyone find three stars that DON'T form a triangle ?

The actual text says that they "nearly form a triangle"
In what way does the shape they form fall short of a triangle ?

One does have to first 'connect the dots'
(after which they "nearly form a right triangle").

However, in neufer's star pictorial, one of the stars lines is not straight, but rather Curly

[Blaise]

Love the smart link behind the words "smart phone"

[zbvhs]

Please excuse the quibble but it's vertices, not vertexes.

[Chris Peterson]

Please excuse the quibble but it's vertices, not vertexes.

Either is acceptable; most dictionaries show them as equivalent.

[saturn2]

Catalonia The Great, Spain.
This image is very good.
Summer Tiangle are Vega, Deneb and Altair.
The Milky Way Galaxy is very handsome.

[nstahl]

I have always been a loyal resident of the Milky Way. Long may she shine!

[bto]

Oh my, pictures fresh from Mars-and we get this useless picture.
B O R I N G

[Mactavish]

Gee. I ran into the woods, found a clearing, and bent over backwards. I fell on my ass!

[Beyond]

Gee. I ran into the woods, found a clearing, and bent over backwards. I fell on my ass!

Well.... You DID discover the Gravity of the situation, didn't you

[mtbdudex]

wow, tough crowd for this pict.
I liked it, and for the less technical people who subscribe to APOD and get it onto their iPhone/iPad/whatever devices, they can learn 1 thing/day new is a success for APOD.

[gigo]

This phot has been overphotoshopped. It would make an amusing sarcastic print = a van Gogh counter point. But to understand the summer triangle clearly just go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Triangle.