Geek Notes

The full moon and Earth’s shadow are depicted together in this island skyscape. The captivating spectacle was observed and documented on Tuesday morning, August 20, from Fiji, located in the South Pacific Ocean. For those who rise early, the shadow in the western sky is a daily phenomenon. Nevertheless, the gray-blue shadow is frequently disregarded in favor of a more luminous eastern horizon. The Earth’s setting shadow extends through the dense atmosphere and is bounded above by a pinkish glow, which is referred to as the anti-twilight arch. The arch is known as the Belt of Venus, and its distinctive hue is the result of backscattering of reddened light from the opposite horizon’s rising Sun. It should be noted that the light of the setting Moon is reddened by the long sightline through the atmosphere. However, on the aforementioned date, the full Moon could be designated a seasonal Blue Moon, representing the third full Moon in a season with four full Moons. Furthermore, while the full Moon is always impressive near the horizon, August’s full Moon is regarded by some as the first of four consecutive full Supermoons in 2024.

The most distant object readily visible without the aid of optical instruments is M31, also known as the Great Andromeda Galaxy. Despite its distance of approximately two and a half million light-years, this vast spiral galaxy, spanning over 200,000 light-years, can be observed as a faint and nebulous cloud in the constellation Andromeda. The image depicts a bright yellow nucleus, dark winding dust lanes, and expansive spiral arms, which are dotted with blue star clusters and red nebulae. This stunning telescopic image combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope with ground-based images from the Subaru and Mayall telescopes. In approximately five billion years, the Andromeda galaxy may become visible to the naked eye, spanning the entire night sky, just before it merges with or passes by our Milky Way Galaxy.

The dark Horsehead Nebula and the glowing Orion Nebula represent contrasting cosmic vistas. Situated at a distance of 1,500 light-years, these nebulae are located within one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky. They are positioned in opposite corners of the above mosaic, which presents a stunning visual representation. The Horsehead Nebula, a well-known astronomical object, is depicted as a dark cloud with a small silhouette, outlined against the extended glow of hydrogen, represented in gold at the lower left. Alnitak is the easternmost star in Orion’s Belt and is observed as a luminous star situated to the left of the Horsehead Nebula. Immediately below Alnitak is the Flame Nebula, which exhibits bright emission clouds and dramatic dark dust lanes. The Orion Nebula (also known as M42), a magnificent emission region, is situated in the upper right quadrant. To its left is a prominent reflection nebula, which is sometimes referred to as the Running Man. Pervasive tendrils of glowing hydrogen gas can be readily discerned throughout the region.

The Tatra Mountains represent a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. The Tatra Mountains, the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains, are a prominent destination for astrophotographers. The image, captured in May, depicts the central region of our Milky Way galaxy, encompassing two of its renowned stellar nurseries: the Lagoon and Omega Nebula, situated just beyond the Tatra Mountains. Stellar nurseries are characterized by a high concentration of ionized hydrogen, a fundamental component for the formation of water that is abundant on Earth. As a fundamental ingredient in all known forms of life, water is a crucial element in the Universe. The Bialka River, which is visible in the foreground, is an example of such water.

🖼️ Image source.