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Credit & Copyright: Brad Goldpaint
(Goldpaint Photography)
Explanation:
What's older than these ancient trees?
Nobody you know -- but almost everything in the background of this picture.
The trees are impressively old -- each part of the
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest located in eastern
California,
USA.
There, many of the
oldest trees known are
located, some dating as
far back as about
5,000 years.
Seemingly attached to tree branches,
but actually much farther in the distance, are the
bright orbs of
Saturn (left) and
Mars.
These planets
formed along with the
Earth and the early Solar System much earlier --
about 4.5 billion years ago.
Swooping down diagonally from the upper left is the oldest structure pictured: the
central band of our
Milky Way Galaxy --
dating back around
9 billion years.
The featured image
was built from several exposures all taken from the same location --
but only a
few weeks ago.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mars - Milky Way
Publications with words: Mars - Milky Way
See also:
- APOD: 2025 September 28 Á Leopard Spots on Martian Rocks
- APOD: 2025 July 15 Á Collapse in Hebes Chasma on Mars
- APOD: 2025 July 6 Á The Spiral North Pole of Mars
- APOD: 2025 July 2 Á Milky Way Through Otago Spires
- APOD: 2025 June 29 Á Dark Sand Cascades on Mars
- APOD: 2025 June 22 Á A Berry Bowl of Martian Spherules
- APOD: 2025 June 15 Á Two Worlds One Sun