Celestial Alignment over Sicilian Shore

Astronomy Picture of the Day · 2019-03-04 · NASA (public domain)

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Celestial Alignment over Sicilian Shore — APOD for 2019-03-04

This was a sunrise to remember. About a month ago, just before the dawn of the Sun , an impressive alignment of celestial objects was on display to the east. Pictured, brightest and closest to the horizon, is the Moon . The Moon's orange glow is caused by the scattering away of blue light by the intervening atmosphere. Next brightest and next closest to the horizon is the planet Venus . Compared to the Moon , Venus appears more blue -- as can (also) be seen in its reflection from the water. Next up is Jupiter , while the bright object above Jupiter is the star Antares . Although this display was visible from almost anywhere on planet Earth , the featured image was taken along a picturesque seashore near the city of Syracuse , on the island of Sicily , in the country of Italy . This month Saturn appears between Venus and Jupiter before sunrise, while Mars is visible just after sunset.

Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2019-03-04 — image & explanation courtesy of NASA (public domain), mirrored at Tukuk-OS for reading and search convenience.

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