Daily Archives: January 25, 2014

Opportunity’s Decade on Mars

PIA17759r
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Arizona State U.

Explanation: On January 25 (UT) 2004, the Opportunity rover fell to Mars, making today the 10th anniversary of its landing. After more than 3,500 sols (Mars solar days) the golf cart-sized robot from Earth is still activelyexploring the Red Planet, though its original mission plan was for three months. This self-portrait was made with Opportunity’s panoramic camera earlier this month. The camera’s supporting mast has been edited out of the image mosaic but its shadow is visible on the dusty solar panels arrayed across the rover’s deck. For comparison, a similar self-portrait from late 2004 is shown in the inset. Having driven some 39 kilometers (24 miles) from its landing site, Opportunity now rests at Solander Point at the rim of Endeavour Crater.
PIA07372_modest

NASA APOD 25-Jan-2014

Related posts:

  1. Everest Panorama from Mars
  2. Phobos 360
  3. The Seagull Nebula
  4. A Landing on Planet Earth

NGC 6960: the Witch’s Broom of Western Veil

be3e565b4fd37143283f8e968db74af5.1824x0_q100_watermark_watermark_opacity-10_watermark_position-6_watermark_text-Copyright northisup2

The Western Veil (also known as Caldwell 34), consisting of NGC 6960 (the “Witch’s Broom”, “Finger of God”, or “Filamentary Nebula”) near the foreground star 52 Cygni; The Veil Nebula is a cloud of heated and ionized gas and dust in the constellation Cygnus.  This Witch’s Broom actually spans about 35 light-years. The bright star in the frame is 52 Cygni, visible with the unaided eye from a dark location but unrelated to the ancient supernova remnant.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Sky-Watcher 6 inch F-5 Newtonian
Imaging cameras: Atik 314L+ Mono, Atik 314 L+ OSC
Mounts: iOptron iEQ-45
Software: PixInsight, DeepSkyStacker, Artemis Capture
Filters: Astronomik CLS CCD
Accessories: kwiq guider mini guide scope
Dates: Aug. 31, 2013
Frames: 60×180″

Autor: John Leader

AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI

25 January 2014

We select the best works of amateur astrophotographers with details of equipment, shooting processing etc.

Related posts:

  1. NGC 1491 in Perseus
  2. Soul Nebula in Cassiopeia (narrowband)
  3. Soul Nebula in Cassiopeia
  4. NGC 7000: The North America Nebula