Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Milky Way over the Temple of Poseidon

NASA ^ | June 08, 2015 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: What's that glowing in the distance? Although it may look like a lighthouse, the rays of light near the horizon actually emanate from the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Greece. Some temple lights are even reflected in the Aegean Sea in the foreground. Although meant to be a monument to the sea, in this image, the temple's lights seem to be pointing out locations on the sky. For example, the wide ray toward the right fortuitously points toward the Lagoon Nebula in the central band of our Milky Way, which runs diagonally down the image from the upper left. Also, the nearly vertical beam seems to point toward the star clouds near the direction of the Wild Duck open cluster of stars. The featured image was taken less than three weeks ago.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit and Copyright: Alexandros Maragos; Rollover Annotation: Judy Schmidt]

[SunkenCiv]

The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Greece overlooks the Aegean, which makes sense.

The Big One

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[Don Corleone]

Been there, Cape Sounion not the Milky Way. Inspiring.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Technically you are in the Milky Way right now.

[Verginius Rufus]

I have been to Sounion but don’t remember any lights. It was the middle of the day so they wouldn’t have been on, but I think I would have noticed the equipment. I recall a stone which had the letters “Byron” carved into it—apparently done by Lord Byron himself.

[colorado tanker]

Sure looks like there is some kind of light show going on.