                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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.

                               2024 November 9

                              Neptune at Night
                  Image Credit & Copyright: Voyager 2, NASA

   Explanation: Ice giant Neptune is faint in Earth's night sky. Some 30
   times farther from the Sun than our fair planet, telescopes are needed
   to catch a glimpse of the dim and distant world. This dramatic view of
   Neptune's night just isn't possible for telescopes in the vicinity of
   planet Earth though. Peering out from the inner Solar System they can
   only bring Neptune's day side into view. In fact this night side image
   with Neptune's slender crescent next to the crescent of its large moon
   Triton was captured by Voyager 2. Launched from planet Earth in 1977
   the Voyager 2 spacecraft made a close fly by of the Solar System's
   outermost planet in 1989, looking back on Neptune as the robotic
   spacecraft continued its voyage to interstellar space.

                    Tomorrow's picture: Valles Marineris
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

