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.

                               2023 January 11
   [2]A green aurora is pictured above and beyond a dark rocky arch. Faint
   stars dot the background. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                         Spiral Aurora over Iceland
               Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Stefano Pellegrini

   Explanation: The scene may look like a fantasy, but it's really
   [4]Iceland. The rock arch is named [5]Gatklettur and located on the
   island's northwest coast. Some of the larger rocks in the foreground
   span a meter across. The fog over the rocks is really moving waves
   averaged over long exposures. The [6]featured image is a composite of
   several foreground and background shots taken with the same camera and
   from the same location on the same night last November. The location
   was picked for its picturesque foreground, but the timing was planned
   for its colorful background: [7]aurora. The [8]spiral aurora, far
   behind the arch, was one of [9]the brightest seen in the
   astrophotographer's life. The coiled pattern was fleeting, though, as
   [10]auroral patterns [11]waved and danced for hours during the cold
   night. Far in the background were the unchanging stars, with
   [12]Earth's rotation causing them to appear to slowly [13]circle the
   sky's northernmost point near [14]Polaris.

   Your Sky Surprise: [15]What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                 (post 1995)
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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    Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & [29]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([30]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [31]Specific rights apply.
              [32]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [33]ASD at [34]NASA / [35]GSFC,
                         [36]NASA Science Activation
                           & [37]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2301/RockyArchAurora_Pellegrini_1330.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/pels_photo/
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland
   5. https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/gatklettur
   6. https://www.instagram.com/p/ClyznP4JWCp/
   7. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/aurora/en/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190421.html
   9. https://media.istockphoto.com/id/1361394182/photo/funny-british-shorthair-cat-portrait-looking-shocked-or-surprised.jpg?s=612x612&w=0&k=20&c=6yvVxdufrNvkmc50nCLCd8OFGhoJd6vPTNotl90L-vo=
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120209.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150601.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200701.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090909.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210428.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230110.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  20. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  25. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230111
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230112.html
  27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  30. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  33. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  36. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  37. http://www.mtu.edu/