Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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.

                                2020 March 12
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             Falcon 9 Boostback
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]John Kraus

   Explanation: Short star trails appear in this single 84 second long
   exposure, taken on March 6 from a rotating planet. The remarkable scene
   also captures the flight of a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo
   spacecraft [5]over Cape Canaveral Air Force Station shortly after
   launch, on a [6]resupply mission bound for the International Space
   Station. Beginning its return to a landing zone about 9 kilometers from
   the launch site, the Falcon 9 first stage boostback burn arcs toward
   the top of the frame. The second stage continues toward low Earth orbit
   though, its own fiery arc traced below the first stage boostback burn
   [7]from the camera's perspective, along with expanding exhaust plumes
   from the two stages. This Dragon spacecraft was a veteran of two
   previous resupply missions. Successfully returning to the landing zone,
   this Falcon 9 first stage had flown before too. [8]Its second landing
   marked the 50th landing of a SpaceX orbital class rocket booster.

                 Tomorrow's picture: an awesome starry night
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    Authors & editors: [20]Robert Nemiroff ([21]MTU) & [22]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([23]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [24]Specific rights apply.
              [25]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [26]ASD at [27]NASA / [28]GSFC
                           & [29]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2003/crs20_boostback.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.johnkrausphotos.com/
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180704.html
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/spacex-dragon-heads-to-space-station-with-nasa-science-cargo-1
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190511.html
   8. https://www.spacex.com/news/2020/03/09/dragon-resupply-mission-crs-20-launch
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200311.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  13. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  18. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=200312
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200313.html
  20. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  21. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  23. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  25. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  26. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  29. http://www.mtu.edu/