... Asperatus Clouds Over New Zealand . ... Although their cause is presently unknown, such unusual atmospheric structures, as menacing as they might seem, do not appear to be harbingers of meteorological doom. ... Coronal Rain on the Sun . ... Last week, for example, our very Moon passed in front of the planet Jupiter. ... At only 30 million light years distant and fully 60 thousand light years across, M51, also known as NGC 5194, is one of the brightest and most picturesque galaxies on the sky. ...