APOD: 2025 July 2 Б Milky Way Through Otago Spires
Explanation:
Does the Milky Way always rise between these two rocks?
No.
Capturing this stunning alignment took careful planning:
being in the right place at the right time.
In the featured image taken in June 2024 from
Otago,
New Zealand, the bright
central core of our
Milky Way Galaxy, home to the many of our
Galaxy's 400 billion stars,
can be seen between two picturesque rocks spires.
For observers in
Earth's
Northern Hemisphere, the core is only visible throughout the summer.
As Earth orbits the
Sun,
different parts of the Milky Way
become visible at different angles at different times of the
night.
As Earth rotates, the orientation of the
Milky Way in the sky also shifts -- sometimes
standing vertically
as seen in the
featured image, and other times
stretching parallel to the horizon,
making it harder to see.
In early June,
observers can watch it emerge
low on the horizon after sunset and gradually
arc upward to reveal its full grandeur.
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.
