Planetary Picture of the Day
Week of February 27, 2023
This week we present a stunning cosmic eye, a gorgeous gooseneck bay, and a silly little comic.
Monday, February 27, 2023
Cosmic Eye
As we look ever farther and deeper into space, we learn some more about who we are. Here is a spectacular view of Ojos de Salar (the Eyes of the Salar) in the Atacama Desert of Chile, where Earth and Sky form a cosmic eye that seems to be piercing the mysteries of the night sky.
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Epimetheus
The surface of Saturn's moon Epimetheus (~120 km diameter) imaged by Cassini on February 21, 2017 from a distance of about 16,500 km. Extended color derived from images captured in IR, green, and UV narrow-angle camera spectral filters.
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Reflection Canyon, Utah
On an extension from Lake Powell, Reflection Canyon is accessible via a challenging hike that is rough and in a remote area. The location is a stunning gooseneck bay shadowed by cliffs made of Navajo sandstone.
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Strange Brew
Something a little different today: the last excuse in the book.
Friday, March 3, 2023
Terra Sabaea and Arabia Terra
This image from ESA’s Mars Express shows a beautiful slice of the Red Planet from the northern polar cap downwards, and highlights cratered, pockmarked swathes of the Terra Sabaea and Arabia Terra regions. It comprises data gathered on 17 June 2019 during orbit 19550.
The ground resolution at the centre of the image is approximately 1 km/pixel and the images are centred at about 44°E/26°N. This image was created using data from the nadir and colour channels of the High Resolution Stereo Camera. The nadir channel is aligned perpendicular to the surface of Mars, as if looking straight down at the surface. North is up.
