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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Rocket Plume Shadow Points to the Moon
NASA ^ | 11 Feb, 2024 | Image Credit: Pat McCracken, NASA

Posted on 02/11/2024 2:26:52 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Why would the shadow of a rocket's launch plume point toward the Moon? In early 2001 during a launch of the space shuttle Atlantis, the Sun, Earth, Moon, and rocket were all properly aligned for this photogenic coincidence. First, for the space shuttle's plume to cast a long shadow, the time of day must be either near sunrise or sunset. Only then will the shadow be its longest and extend all the way to the horizon. Finally, during a Full Moon, the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the sky. Just after sunset, for example, the Sun is slightly below the horizon, and, in the other direction, the Moon is slightly above the horizon. Therefore, as Atlantis blasted off, just after sunset, its shadow projected away from the Sun toward the opposite horizon, where the Full Moon happened to be.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 02/11/2024 2:26:52 PM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 02/11/2024 2:27:06 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; Agatsu77; America_Right; ...
Pinging the APOD list.

πŸͺ 🌟 🌌 πŸ”


3 posted on 02/11/2024 2:27:41 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: MtnClimber

To me, it looks like a tasty cheeseburger being flipped.


4 posted on 02/11/2024 2:34:35 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer” )
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To: blueunicorn6
To me, it looks like a tasty cheeseburger being flipped.

An overexposed Death Star uses its dark ray to intercept a Rebel rocket launch from orbit...
5 posted on 02/11/2024 2:55:10 PM PST by verum ago (I figure some people must truly be in love, for only love can be so blind.)
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To: MtnClimber

We’ve been enjoying this; it’s quieter right now, as I write; but should get busier again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60lno6Bq-9U


6 posted on 02/11/2024 3:04:32 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: blueunicorn6
To me, it looks like a tasty cheeseburger being flipped.

That is correct. After Newton discovered his three laws of motion, he discovered that the universal unit of mass is the cheeseburger.

7 posted on 02/11/2024 5:50:25 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: Jamestown1630

The aurora is peaking right now.


8 posted on 02/11/2024 5:55:46 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page. More photos added.)
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To: MtnClimber

It’s been very beautiful.


9 posted on 02/11/2024 8:13:38 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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