Subj : Daily APOD Report
To   : All
From : Alan Ianson
Date : Sun Feb 11 2024 01:07:32

                        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 February 11
    The long plume of a launching rocket is seen on the left side of the
    image. The upper part of the plume is bright, while the lower part is
    smokey brown. The bright part of the plume is illuminated by the Sun
   and casts a long and dark shadow corridor across the image. The shadow
     appears to end on a Full Moon. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                   Rocket Plume Shadow Points to the Moon
                      Image Credit: Pat McCracken, NASA

   Explanation: Why would the shadow of a rocket's launch plume point
   toward the Moon? In early 2001 during a launch of the space shuttle
   Atlantis, the Sun, Earth, Moon, and rocket were all properly aligned
   for this photogenic coincidence. First, for the space shuttle's plume
   to cast a long shadow, the time of day must be either near sunrise or
   sunset. Only then will the shadow be its longest and extend all the way
   to the horizon. Finally, during a Full Moon, the Sun and Moon are on
   opposite sides of the sky. Just after sunset, for example, the Sun is
   slightly below the horizon, and, in the other direction, the Moon is
   slightly above the horizon. Therefore, as Atlantis blasted off, just
   after sunset, its shadow projected away from the Sun toward the
   opposite horizon, where the Full Moon happened to be.

                  Almost Hyperspace: Random APOD Generator
                       Tomorrow's picture: space orbs
     __________________________________________________________________

       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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