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.

2010 April 8
See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download
 the highest resolution version available.

Discovery's Cloud
Image Credit & Copyright: Stefan O'Dougherty and Peter Nguyen
(Acknowledgement: Simone Nageon De Lestang)

Explanation: The space shuttle orbiter Discovery is now docked with the International Space Station, some 350 kilometres above planet Earth. Last Monday, its launch to orbit was a beautiful one as it rose into clear, predawn skies at 6:21am EDT from Kennedy Space Centre's pad 39A. Looking east, this time exposure was taken shortly after lift off from a marina about 13 miles west of the launch site in Titusville, Florida. It shows the dawn's emerging colours along the horizon, with wafting rocket contrails at the upper right. The bright streak surrounded by the remarkable, elongated, vapour cloud near the centre of the image is the actual track of Discovery, arcing toward the horizon and its orbital rendezvous.

Tomorrow's picture: Discovery's Dawn


< | Archive | Index | Search | Calendar | RSS | Education | About APOD | Discuss | >

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.