Eridania Basin on Mars
Monday, Dec. 15, 2014: NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter obtaned this image of Eridania Basin region on Mars. The larger version of this photo shows inverted ridges (not visible here), which may have been connected to the channel that runs from roughly lower left to top center, showing a division in the center. Image released Dec. 10, 2014.
— Tom Chao
With the Moonlight Shining So Bright
Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014: Astrophotographer Manish Mamtani sent in a photo of the Geminid meteor shower taking place Dec. 13-14, 2014, over the Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Mamtani notes in an email message to Space.com: “Even though there was [a] bright moon, still a lot of bright meteors could be seen.”
— Tom Chao
Nobody Tosses a Dwarf
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014: Markarian 209 is classed as a blue compact dwarf galaxy. Galaxies of this type have a blue hue, compact size, rich amounts of gas, and low quantities of heavy elements. Markarian 209 contains diffuse gas, and star-forming regions pepper its core. This image captures it as it undergoes a burst of star formation, visible as the lighter blue cloudy region at the top right of the galaxy. Image released Dec. 15, 2014.
— Tom Chao
Goin’ Down to Mexico
Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014: On Dec. 16, 2014, NASA Astronaut Terry W. Virts tweeted this photo of the west coast of Mexico with sunglint on the Pacific Ocean, taken aboard the International Space Station.
— Tom Chao
Snoop Droopy Droop
Friday, Dec. 19, 2014: An active region on the sun rotating into view on Dec. 7-9, 2014, seemed to emanate a series of elliptical, drooping loops, as seen by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. The loops consist of particles spiraling along magnetic field lines, apparent when viewed in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. Above this group, other loops over another active region show tighter and less elongated shapes, ever changing.
— Tom Chao
Give Me the Green Light
Monday, Dec. 22, 2014: Canada's automated aurora camera tweeted this photo, writing: "AURORAMAX GALLERY • Latest photo of #aurora borealis above #Yellowknife NWT taken at 01:07 MST on December 6, 2014."
— Tom Chao
I ❤ Astronomy!
Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2014: Astrophotographer Jaspal Chadha imaged the Heart Nebula over two night from his London, UK, location, on Dec. 6 & 7, 2014. The nebula (IC 1805) lies about 7,500 light years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. The entire nebula, with the distinctive shape that gives it its name, is not visible here. See more of Chadha’s work at www.jkobservatory.net.
— Tom Chao
Catch a Falling Star
Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014: Astrophotographer Monika Georgieva sent in a photo of a Geminid meteor she captured on Dec. 14, 2014, near Varna, Bulgaria.
— Tom Chao
Italy from Space
Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014: The Italian Peninsula glows with night lighting as seen from the International Space Station. The island of Sicily lies at lower right, at the “toe” of Italy. The brightest concentration of light just below the center of the image represents Naples, with Rome a bit to the left. A bright green line of airglow hangs above the limb of the Earth. The space station’s solar panels blot out the area at upper right. Image obtained Oct. 21, 2014.
— Tom Chao
Meteor Over Melbourne
Friday, Dec. 26, 2014: Astrophotographer Dean Weybury caught a Geminid meteor in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 14, 2014.
— Tom Chao
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