APOD 4.8

Here is a photograph of the night sky as seen from the volcano Mauna Kea. Directly across from the volcano, lies another one in the distance, known as Mauna Loa. By far the most interesting aspect of this photo is that it appears as if Mauna Loa is erupting, but rather than lava, out is coming a magnificent band of the Milky Way Galaxy. Toward the far right of the picture, the moon is visible just above the horizon. Mars and Saturn also appear as faint star-like objects, with a relatively higher magnitude.

APOD 4.7

In this photograph, taken in Gunma, Japan, it is very easy to see the asterism known as the Summer Triangle. The triangle is made up of three stars (the brighter ones visible in the photograph which somewhat border the tree). From left to right they are Deneb of the constellation Cygnus, Vega of the constellation Lyra, and Altair of the constellation Aquila. Also visible in the photograph are smaller constellations that appear within and around the triangle, including Lacerta the lizard, Delphinus the dolphin, Vulpecula the fox, and Sagitta the arrow.

APOD 4.6

Pictured here is the spiral galaxy NGC 2841. While this galaxy is only 46 million light years away, it is humongous, with a diameter of over 150,000 light years, larger than our Milky Way Galaxy. This galaxy is found in the Northern Constellation Ursa Major, and exhibits beautiful pink arms which are star forming regions. Also visible are patches of blue, where clusters of newly formed, young stars begin their life cycle. This image was captured as a composite, merging exposure from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Subaru Telescope.

APOD 4.4

Here is a photograph of an usual spiral galaxy. While most spiral galaxies have 2 arms, this galaxy, NGC 4725, only has one. This galaxy is also very large; 100,000 light years across, longer than our Milky Way Galaxy. NGC 4725 lies 41 million light years across from our home galaxy, and appears to be rotating clockwise, due to the trailing single arm of the galaxy.

APOD 4.3

Photographed is the spiral galaxy NGC 2903, about 20 million light years away from our solar system. This galaxy is visible in the Spring constellation Leo, and is very popular among astronomers. The galaxy features many beautiful colors with innumerable star clusters, producing new stars at a very rapid rate. This galaxy is very similar in size to our own, measuring 80,000 light years across.

APOD 4.2

Sweden is known worldwide as an ideal viewing location for Aurorae, and this stunning Aurora in Kiruna, Sweden proves this perfectly. This aurora greatly resembles an immense flag hanging over the countryside. This aurora was the result of a recent Coronal Mass Ejection, which passed through a channel in the Earth's Magnetic Field. The result- a beautiful aurora featuring a variety of vivid colors.

APOD 4.1

As we are now transitioning into the spring, the familiar constellation Orion is beginning to set in the early evening. Photographed here is Orion, late in the sky. Visible are the two first magnitude stars Betelgeuse and Rigel, along with the asterism known as Orion's belt, and the Horsehead Nebula, M42. Also visible is Aldebaren, the alpha star in the constellation Taurus which borders Orion.