APOD 2.6

Contemplating the Sky

Have you looked up recently? Last night was a really good night to do some observing but tonight should be too as you will be able to see many meteors from the Geminids meteor shower if you are in a northernly location. Last's night show to tonight's should be the shower's peak. This picture was taken 10 days ago in the Maranjab Desert in Iran. - Venus and the cescent moon is visible. Tonight Mars and Mecury should be visible just above the southwestern horizon at sunset, while the first quarter moon wills set around midnight.



APOD 2.5

Anticrepuscular Rays Over Colorado

Although this looks like its something supernatural, this scene is created by nothing more than the setting sun and a few clouds. These are anticrepuscular rays! To understand them you should first try to envision common crepuscular waves which you see anytime sunlight pours through scattered clouds. The projections of these line onto the sphereical sky are great circles. At the anti-solar point 180 degrees from the Sun, they are referred to as anticrepuscular rays.