          APOD: 2018 June 24 - Rocket Plume Shadow Points to the Moon

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                                 2018 June 24
                                      [2]
                    Rocket Plume Shadow Points to the Moon
                    Image Credit: Pat McCracken, NASA [3]

Explanation: Why would the shadow of a space shuttle [4] launch plume point
toward the Moon? In early 2001 during a launch of Atlantis [5] , the Sun [6] ,
Earth [7] , Moon [8] , and rocket were all properly aligned for this
photogenic coincidence [9] . First, for the space shuttle [10] 's plume to
cast a long shadow, the time of day must be either near sunrise [11]  or
sunset [12] . Only then will the shadow [13] be its longest and extend all the
way to the horizon [14] . Finally, during a Full Moon [15] , the Sun [16]  and
Moon [17]  are on opposite sides of the sky. Just after sunset [18] , for
example, the Sun is slightly below the horizon [19] , and, in the other
direction, the Moon is slightly above the horizon [20] . Therefore, as
Atlantis [21]  blasted off, just after sunset [22] , its shadow projected away
from the Sun toward the opposite horizon, where the Full Moon [23]  happened
to be.

                      Tomorrow's picture: new world [24]

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [36] (MTU [37] ) & Jerry Bonnell [38]
                                  (UMCP [39] )
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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1806/sts98plume_nasa_1111.jpg
  [3] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [4] https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
  [5] https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/atlantis.html
  [6] sun.html
  [7] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0011/earthlights2_dmsp_big.jpg
  [8] http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=18017
  [9] https://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=1221
  [10] https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/flyout/index.html
  [11] ap170705.html
  [12] ap980526.html
  [13] ap161026.html
  [14] ap171205.html
  [15] ap000113.html
  [16] ap010129.html
  [17] ap180318.html
  [18] ap060723.html
  [19] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon
  [20] ap000320.html
  [21] ap950812.html
  [22] ap990726.html
  [23] ap010104.html
  [24] ap180625.html
  [25] ap180623.html
  [26] archivepix.html
  [27] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [28] lib/aptree.html
  [29] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  [30] calendar/allyears.html
  [31] /apod.rss
  [32] lib/edlinks.html
  [33] lib/about_apod.html
  [34] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=180624
  [35] ap180625.html
  [36] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [37] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [38] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  [39] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [40] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
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  [42] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
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