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Астронет: Астрономическая картинка дня Планета тахинастов http://www.variable-stars.ru/db/msg/1471409/eng |
Credit & Copyright: Daniel Lopez
(El Cielo de Canarias)
Explanation:
What bizarre planet are these alien creatures from?
It's only planet Earth,
of course.
The planet's home galaxy the Milky Way stretches across a dark sky
in the panoramic, fisheye all-sky projection composed with a wide lens.
But the imposing forms gazing skyward probably look strange to many
denizens of Earth.
Found on the Canary Island of Tenerife in the
Teide National Park, they are
red
tajinastes,
flowering plants that grow to a height of up to 3 meters.
Among the rocks of the
volcanic terrain, tajinastes bloom in
spring and early summer and then die after a week or so as their
seeds mature.
A species known as
Echium
wildpretii, the terrestrial life forms were
individually lit by flashlight during the wide-angle
exposures.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.