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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.
Dusk of the Planets
Explanation: A great grouping of planets is now visible to the west just after sunset. Over the next two weeks, Mercury , Venus , Earth , Mars , Jupiter , and Saturn -- the innermost six planets of our Solar System -- can be seen in a single knowing glance. The image on the left captured them all in one frame. Connecting the planetary dots delineates the edge-on ecliptic , the plane in which the planets orbit the Sun . The shot was taken on April 23 near Chatsworth, New Jersey , USA , and even includes scattered light from the Sun and the Moon . Besides the planets, the Pleiades and Hyades open clusters of stars are visible .
| Date | April 29, 2002 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit & Copyright: Jerry Lodriguss |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |