APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
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.
Water World
Explanation: Water (Dihydrogen Oxide, H2O) is a truly remarkable chemical compound, fundamental to life on Earth . Earth is the only planet in the Solar System where the present surface temperature and pressure allow the three forms of water, solid (ice) , liquid (ocean) , and gas ( water vapor condensing in clouds ) to exist simultaneously . Water in one of these forms accounts for everything visible in this view of Earth from space looking north at the Bering Sea and the coast of Alaska , USA, around Bristol Bay.
| Date | May 30, 1998 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit: STS-45 Crew, NASA |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |