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                        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 August 17

                              Sky Full of Arcs
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Rory Gannaway

   Explanation: On August 11 a Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched from a
   rotating planet. With a small satellite on board its mission was dubbed
   A Sky Full of SARs
   (Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites), departing for low Earth orbit
   from Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand's north island. The fiery trace of
   the Electron's graceful launch arc is toward the east in this southern
   sea and skyscape, a composite of 50 consecutive frames taken over 2.5
   hours. Fixed to a tripod, the camera was pointing directly at the South
   Celestial Pole, the extension of planet Earth's axis of rotation in to
   space. But no bright star marks that location in the southern
   hemisphere's night sky. Still, the South Celestial Pole is easy to
   spot. It lies at the center of the concentric star trail arcs that fill
   the skyward field of view.

               Gallery: Perseid Meteor Shower 2024 and Aurorae
                        Tomorrow's picture: sunny day
     __________________________________________________________________

       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.

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