                        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.

                               2025 January 11

                       An Evening Sky Full of Planets
                 Image Credit & Copyright: Dario Giannobile

   Explanation: Only Mercury is missing from a Solar System parade of
   planets in this early evening skyscape. Rising nearly opposite the Sun,
   bright Mars is at the far left. The other naked-eye planets Jupiter,
   Saturn, and Venus, can also be spotted, with the the position of
   too-faint Uranus and Neptune marked near the arcing trace of the
   ecliptic plane. On the far right and close to the western horizon after
   sunset is a young crescent Moon whose surface is partly illuminated by
   earthshine. In the foreground of the composite panorama captured on 2
   January, planet Earth is represented by Mount Etna's lower Silvestri
   Crater. Of course Earth's early evening skies are full of planets for
   the entire month of January. On 13 January, a nearly Full Moon will
   appear to pass in front of Mars for skywatchers in the continental U.S.
   and Eastern Canada.

                 Tomorrow's picture: small moon, big crater
     __________________________________________________________________

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

