![]() ![]() The moon almost certainly hides a vast liquid ocean beneath its icy crust, and scientists are planning to explore it with upcoming and current missions, including the European Space Agency’s Juice mission and NASA’s Europa Clipper. At the lower left is Io, a lava-covered moon that claims the distinction of the most volcanically active body in the solar system.Īnd casting a shadow atop Jupiter’s stormy Great Red Spot is the icy moon Europa, one of the most promising candidates for hosting life. In this spectacular view of Jupiter, two of its moons stand out against the backdrop of the gas giant. Jupiter and two of its moons, Europa and Io “Against the backdrop of the vibrant sunset, the comet appears as a bright and ethereal presence, its long tail stretching outwards like a cosmic beacon,” Savenok says to RMG. Here, photographer Alex Savenok captured the comet above Israel’s Negev desert. It disappeared from sight in January 2022, and that was the last time humans could catch a glimpse of it-the comet’s orbit brought it to destruction when it neared the sun and disintegrated that same year. The ball of ice, rock and dust’s rare journey took it toward Earth from the outer zone of our solar system. C/2021 A1 (Leonard) in Sky of Israel, by Alex SavenokĬ/2021 A1 (Comet Leonard) passes above Israel's Negev Desert.Ĭomet Leonard dazzled viewers in December 2021, when it came within 21 million miles of our planet. “According to our calculation, this solar flare is about 700,000 kilometers long.” To put that in perspective, Earth’s diameter is about 12,700 kilometers-so this flare is roughly 55 times the length of our world. In this image taken with an H-alpha telescope, used to view the sun in high resolution, the solar flare is “very large,” says photographer Mehmet Ergün to RMG. This could lead to more solar flares over the next couple of years-and in turn, we could experience more geomagnetic storms on Earth, which occur when the sun’s bursts of radiation interact with our planet’s atmosphere. Solar activity fluctuates on an 11-year cycle, and right now, the sun is nearing its peak. The Great Solar Flare, by Mehmet ErgünĪ long solar flare is visible on the left side of the sun, appearing to pass over its surface like a snake. The bright light at the center, just above the horizon, is Earth’s so-called sister planet, Venus. Here, in Egypt’s White Desert National Park, the lines of the dunes draw the eye toward the arc of the Milky Way.Įsenbey constructed this image from a vertical panorama and used a sky tracking technique that allowed for a long exposure of the night sky that is more detailed and colorful. “Dunes are the reason I love to shoot in the desert,” photographer Burak Esenbey tells Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG). The Milky Way and Venus appear above White Desert National Park in Egypt Here is a selection of ten of these stunning submissions. Until then, the judges have narrowed the entry pool to a shortlist of images that capture the beauty of the cosmos, as seen from our home planet. Winners will be announced on September 14. Amateur and professional photographers from 64 countries submitted some 4,000 images, which entered the running for nine category prizes, two special prizes and one overall prize. ![]() The contest, run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, is currently in its 15th year. This year, images of gigantic solar flares, colorful glowing gas and dust and transient comets above Earth’s breathtaking terrain have impressed the judges so far. In the annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest, skywatchers from across the world vie for the coveted title and the £10,000 ($13,000) grand prize. ![]() Just for a moment, the James Webb Space Telescope and its dazzling images can take a seat, because it’s the Earth-based photographers’ time to shine. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |