Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 January 3 - A Starry Night of Iceland

A Starry Night of Iceland  Image Credit: Stephane Vetter (Nuits sacrees); Rollover Annotation: Judy Schmidt

Explanation: On some nights, the sky is the best show in town. On this night, the sky was not only the best show in town, but a composite image of the sky won an international competition for landscape astrophotography. Thefeatured winning image was taken in 2011 over Jökulsárlón, the largest glacial lake in Iceland. The photographer combined six exposures to capture not only two green auroral rings, but their reflections off the serene lake. Visible in the distant background sky is the band of our Milky Way Galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy. A powerful coronal mass ejection from the Sun caused auroras to be seen as far south as Wisconsin, USA. Solar activity over the past week has resulted in auroras just over the past few days.

Imagens do Mundo - Polonia

Accidente de un tren de mercancías que descarriló cerca de Wezowka (Polonia).

TOMASZ WASZCZUK (EFE)

Imagens do Mundo - Cisjordânia - 02-01-2016

Un arcoíris vista desde la ciudad cisjordana de Nablus.

JAAFAR ASHTIYEH (AFP)

Fotos - "A Rainha do Réveillon" - 31-12-2015

"A Rainha do Réveillon"

31-12-2015

JoanMira

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 January 2 - Sky Lights in the New Year

Sky Lights in the New Year 
Image Credit & Copyright: Gill Fry

Explanation: Triggered by the impact of a coronal mass ejection on New Year's eve, a moderate geomagnetic storm brought a celebration of sky lights to planet Earth's high latitudes yesterday. In this New Year's nightscape, the shimmering reddish curtains of aurora australis along a southern horizon are captured over Morgiana, SW Victoria, Australia. Of course, more permanent jewels of the southern skies are on the scene. The southern Milky Way, Alpha and Beta Centauri, and bright stars of the Southern Cross are on the left. In silhouette, branches of the large foreground tree stretch across the Milky Way's satellite galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic clouds. The bright star framed near the tips of tree branches at right is Achernar. Alpha star of the constellation Eridanus, Achernar is sometimes known as the southern end of the river.

Astronomy picture of the day - 2016 January 1 - Comet Catalina Tails

Comet Catalina Tails 
Image Credit & Copyright: José J. Chambó

Explanation: A new year's treat for binoculars, as 2016 begins Comet Catalina (C/2013 US10) now sweeps through planet Earth's predawn skies near bright Arcturus, alpha star of Bootes. But this telescopic mosaic from December 21 follows the pretty tails of the comet across a field of view as wide as 10 full moons. The smattering of distant galaxies and faint stars in the background are in the constellation Virgo. Trailing behind the comet's orbit, Catalina's dust tail fans out below and left in the frame. Its ion tail is angled toward the top right, away from the Sun and buffeted by the solar wind. On January 17, the outward bound visitor from the Oort Cloud will make its closest approach to Earth, a mere 110 million kilometers away, seen near bright stars along the handle of the Big Dipper.

Pedro Abrunhosa - "Momento" - Video - Musica

"Momento"

Astronomy picture of the day - 2015 December 31 - Solstice Sun at Lulworth Cove

Solstice Sun at Lulworth Cove 
Image Credit & Copyright: Chris Kotsiopoulos (GreekSky)

Explanation: A southern exposure and striking symmetry made Lulworth Cove, along the Jurassic Coast of England, planet Earth a beautiful setting during this December's Solstice. Five frames in this dramatic composite view follow the lowest arc of the Sun, from sunrise to sunset, during the shortest day of the year. The solstice arc spans about 103 degrees at this northern latitude. Of course, erosion by wave action has produced the cove's remarkable shape in the coastal limestone layers. The cove's narrow entrance is responsible, creating a circular wave diffraction pattern made clearer by a low sun angle.

Imagens - Retrospectiva 2015 - Cumbre de París sobre el clima

El 1 de diciembre arrancaba en París la COP 21, conocida como Cumbre del Clima. Por primera vez, la gran mayoría de países de la tierra llegaban a la cita con compromisos voluntarios de reducción de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y concienciados del peligro que supone para la humanidad el calentamiento global. Al final de la cumbre, el 12 de diciembre, se alcanzaba un acuerdo que pone como objetivo que la temperatura media del planeta no aumente en más de dos grados a final de siglo. El Roto expresaba su incertidumbre sobre la cumbre y sus resultados el 1 de diciembre.

Sting - "When we dance" - Video - Music

"When we dance"