Astronomy Picture of the

Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or
photograph of our fascinating universe is featured,
along with a brief explanation written by a professional
astronomer.

2022 February 4

Moons at Twilight
Image Credit & Copyright: Robert Fedez

Explanation: Even though Jupiter was the only planet

visible in the evening sky on February 2, it shared the
twilight above the western horizon with the Solar
System's brightest moons. In a single exposure made
just after sunset, the Solar System's ruling gas giant is
at the upper right in this telephoto field-of-view from
Cancun, Mexico. The snapshot also captures our fair
planet's own natural satellite in its young crescent
phase. The Moon's disk looms large, its familiar face
illuminated mostly by earthshine. But the four points of
light lined-up with Jupiter are Jupiter's own large
Galilean moons. Top to bottom are Ganymede,
[Jupiter], Io, Europa, and Callisto. Ganymede, Io, and
Callisto are physically larger than Earth's Moon while
water world Europa is only slightly smaller.

Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend

< | Archive | Submissions | Index | Search | Calendar |

RSS | Education | About APOD | Discuss | >

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry

Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.