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.

                              2021 December 19
   [2]The featured image shows a a sunset with the planets Venus, Saturn,
   Jupiter, the Moon, and Uranus all in a row. Please see the explanation
                       for more detailed information.

                       Planetary Alignment over Italy
                Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Antonio Finazzi

   Explanation: It is not a coincidence that planets line up. That's
   because all of the [4]planets orbit the [5]Sun in (nearly) a single
   sheet called the plane of the [6]ecliptic. When viewed from inside that
   plane -- as [7]Earth dwellers are likely to do -- the planets all
   appear confined to a [8]single band. It is a coincidence, though, when
   [9]three of the brightest planets all appear in nearly the same
   direction. Such a coincidence was captured earlier this month.
   [10]Featured above (right to left), [11]Venus, [12]Saturn, and
   [13]Jupiter were all [14]imaged together in a line just after sunset,
   from the [15]San Fermo Hills, [16]Bergamo, [17]Italy. Joining the
   alignment are [18]Earth's Moon, and the position of the more distant
   [19]Uranus. Bands of clouds streak across the sky toward the
   [20]setting Sun. As [21]Comet Leonard fades, this planetary alignment
   -- absent the Moon -- should persist for the rest of the month.

    Discovery + Outreach: [22]Graduate student research position open for
                                    APOD
                     Tomorrow's picture: comet fireball
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [38]Specific rights apply.
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                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC
                           & [43]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2112/PlanetsAligned_Finazzi_3757.jpg
   3. https://www.facebook.com/antonio.finazzi.5
   4. https://medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/ask-ethan-82-why-are-the-planets-all-in-the-same-plane-4470245c8743
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160731.html
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic#/media/File:Ecliptic_plane_side_view.gif
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170326.html
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic
   9. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury/
  10. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=2347172088751018
  11. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/venus/in-depth/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210919.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180226.html
  14. https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5a1854f1c22e9-png__700.jpg
  15. https://www.google.com.sg/travel/entity/key/ChcIn8yn1OqAsptHGgsvZy8xMjJydnZoeRAE/overview
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Bergamo
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy
  18. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moon/overview/
  19. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/uranus/in-depth/
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150512.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211212.html
  22. https://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=41989
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211218.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=211219
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211220.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. http://www.mtu.edu/