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.

                               2022 December 8
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                        Orion and the Ocean of Storms
                     Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]Artemis 1

   Explanation: A camera on board the uncrewed Orion spacecraft captured
   [5]this view on December 5 as Orion approached its return powered flyby
   of the Moon. Below one of Orion's extended solar arrays lies dark,
   smooth, terrain along the [6]western edge of the Oceanus Procellarum.
   Prominent on the lunar nearside [7]Oceanus Procellarum, the Ocean of
   Storms, is the largest of the [8]Moon's lava-flooded maria. The lunar
   terminator, shadow line between lunar night and day, runs along the
   left of the frame. The 41 kilometer diameter [9]crater Marius is top
   center, with ray [10]crater Kepler peeking in at the edge, just right
   of the solar array wing. Kepler's bright rays extend to the north and
   west, reaching the [11]dark-floored Marius. [12]Of course the Orion
   spacecraft is now headed toward a [13]December 11 splashdown in
   [14]planet Earth's water-flooded Pacific Ocean.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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    Authors & editors: [26]Robert Nemiroff ([27]MTU) & [28]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([29]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [30]Specific rights apply.
              [31]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [32]ASD at [33]NASA / [34]GSFC,
                         [35]NASA Science Activation
                           & [36]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2212/art001e002132.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1
   5. https://flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/52547306790/in/album-72177720303788800/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220128.html
   7. https://earthsky.org/space/new-ideas-about-origin-of-lunar-ocean-of-storms/
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marius_(crater)
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler_(lunar_crater)
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/marius-hills-and-hole-moon
  12. https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/
  13. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-sets-coverage-of-orion-s-historic-moon-mission-return-splashdown
  14. https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/apollo-17-astronauts-capture-iconic-blue-marble-50-years-ago
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221207.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  19. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  24. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=221208
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221209.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  29. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  32. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  35. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  36. http://www.mtu.edu/