                        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 June 17

                       Good Morning Planets from Chile
    Image Credit & Copyright: Elke Schulz (Daniel Verschatse Observatory)

   Explanation: On June 15, innermost planet Mercury had wandered about as
   far from the Sun as it ever gets in planet Earth's sky. Near the
   eastern horizon just before sunrise it stands over distant Andes
   mountain peaks in this predawn snapshot from the valley of Rio Hurtado
   in Chile. June's other morning planets are arrayed above it, as all the
   naked-eye planets of the Solar System stretch in a line along the
   ecliptic in the single wide-field view. Tilted toward the north, the
   Solar System's ecliptic plane arcs steeply through southern hemisphere
   skies. Northern hemisphere early morning risers will see the lineup of
   planets along the ecliptic at a shallower angle tilting toward the
   south. From both hemispheres June's beautiful morning planetary display
   finds the visible planets in order of their increasing distance from
   the Sun.

                      Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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