                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

                         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 August 26
                                      [2]
                                Fire on Earth
               Image Credit: John McColgan (AFS [3] , BLM [4] )

Explanation: Sometimes, regions of planet Earth light up with fire. Since fire
[5]  is the rapid acquisition of oxygen, and since oxygen [6] is a key
indicator of life, fire [7] on any planet would be an indicator of life [8]
on that planet. Most of the Earth's land has been scorched by fire [9]  at
some time in the past. Although causing many a tragedy, for many places on
Earth fire [10]  is considered part of a natural ecosystem cycle [11] . Large
forest fires [12]  on Earth [13] are usually caused either by humans [14]  or
lightning [15]  and can be visible from orbit [16] . Featured [17]  from the
year 2000, stunned elk [18]  avoid a fire [19]  sweeping through Montana [20]
's Bitterroot Valley [21] by standing in a river.

                         Tomorrow's picture: sun dark

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [33] (MTU [34] ) & Jerry Bonnell [35]
                                  (UMCP [36] )
          NASA Official:  Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [37] .
              NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [38]
              A service of: ASD [39]  at NASA [40]  / GSFC [41]
                           & Michigan Tech. U. [42]
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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1808/fires_mccolgan_1731.jpg
  [3] http://fire.ak.blm.gov/
  [4] http://www.blm.gov/
  [5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire
  [6] http://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml
  [7] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pfqIcSydgE
  [8]
http://www.newscientist.com/article/
dn23193-huge-telescopes-could-spy-alien-oxygen.html
  [9] https://fsapps.nwcg.gov/
  [10] ap130829.html
  [11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_ecology
  [12] http://www.arborday.org/replanting/firecauses.cfm
  [13] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/earth/overview/
  [14] https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluations.htm
  [15] ap161205.html
  [16] ap170515.html
  [17]
https://www.thoughtco.com/most-famous-wildfire-photograph-ever-taken-1342839
  [18] https://naturalhistory.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=33
  [19] ap080709.html
  [20] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana
  [21] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wkvvsrra4o
  [22] ap180825.html
  [23] archivepix.html
  [24] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [25] lib/aptree.html
  [26] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  [27] calendar/allyears.html
  [28] /apod.rss
  [29] lib/edlinks.html
  [30] lib/about_apod.html
  [31] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=180826
  [32] ap180827.html
  [33] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [34] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [35] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  [36] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [37] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [38] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  [39] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [40] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [41] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [42] http://www.mtu.edu/
