Astronomy Picture of the Day

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                                2018 October 12
                                      [2]
                             The Falcon 9 Nebula
                Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Brian Haidet [4]

Explanation: Not the Hubble Space Telescope's [5]  latest view of a distant
planetary nebula, this illuminated cloud of gas and dust dazzled [6] even
casual U.S. west coast skygazers on October 7. Taken about three miles north
[7]  of Vandenberg Air Force Base, the image follows plumes and exhaust from
the first and second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rising [8]  through
southern California's early evening skies. In the fading twilight, the reddish
smoke drifting in the foreground at the right is from the initial ascent of
the rocket. The expanding blue and orange filamentary plumes are from first
and second stage separation and the first stage boostback burn [9] , still in
sunlight at extreme altitudes. But the bright spot below center is the second
stage itself headed almost directly away from the camera, accelerating to
orbital velocity and far downrange. Pulsed thrusters form the upside down
V-shape at the top as they guide the reusable Falcon 9 first stage back to the
landing site [10] .

                    Tomorrow's picture: What the dog saw.

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
                                  (UMCP [25] )
          NASA Official:  Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
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              A service of: ASD [28]  at NASA [29]  / GSFC [30]
                           & Michigan Tech. U. [31]
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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1810/DSC08399-LrOut-Haidet2048.jpg
  [3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [4] https://www.flickr.com/photos/144439286@N08
  [5] https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/
hubble-in-safe-mode-as-gyro-issues-are-diagnosed
  [6] https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=spac...
  [7] https://www.flickr.com/photos/144439286@N08/4...
  [8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVRq_vrdKWQ
  [9] ap180113.html
  [10] ap181011.html
  [11] ap181011.html
  [12] archivepix.html
  [13] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [14] lib/aptree.html
  [15] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apo...
  [16] calendar/allyears.html
  [17] /apod.rss
  [18] lib/edlinks.html
  [19] lib/about_apod.html
  [20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?dat...
  [21] ap181013.html
  [22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [24] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnel...
  [25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [27] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Priv...
  [28] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [29] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [30] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [31] http://www.mtu.edu/

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