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.

2003 July 2
See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.

Aurora Over Cape Cod
Credit & Copyright: Chris Cook

Explanation: Active pillars of colourful aurora were captured dancing over a serenely smooth and nearly colourless Cape Cod Bay last month. North is straight ahead so that the town lights near the centre originate from Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA. The unusual red colours in the aurora slightly reflect off the ocean inlet. Several familiar constellations are visible in the sky, including the famous stellar W of Cassiopeia on the far right.

Tomorrow's picture: firehose

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