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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.
Mars Between Nebulas
Explanation: What's that bright red spot between the Lagoon and Trifid Nebulas? Mars. This gorgeous color deep-sky photograph captured the red planet passing between the two notable nebulas -- cataloged by the 18th century cosmic registrar Charles Messier as M8 and M20. M20 (upper right of center), the Trifid Nebula , presents a striking contrast in red/blue colors and dark dust lanes. Across the bottom right is the expansive, alluring red glow of M8, the Lagoon Nebula . Both nebulae are a few thousand light-year s distant. By comparison , temporarily situated between them both, is the dominant “local” celestial beacon Mars . Taken last week, the red planet was only about 10 light-minutes away.
Gallery: Mars in Sagittarius
| Date | March 27, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Image Credit & Copyright: Sebastian Voltmer |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |