                        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.

                                2023 June 26
      An orange sky hovers above snow-covered mountains. A blurry line
    divides the orange sky from a darker sky. In the foreground are hills
   and a house. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                    The Belt of Venus over Mount Everest
               Image Credit & Copyright: Soumyadeep Mukherjee

   Explanation: You've surely seen it, but you might not have noticed it.
   During a cloudless twilight, just before sunrise or after sunset, part
   of the atmosphere above the horizon appears slightly dark and
   off-color. Called the Belt of Venus, this transitional band between the
   dark eclipsed sky and the bright day sky can be seen most prominently
   in the direction opposite the Sun. Straight above, blue sky is normal
   sunlight reflecting off the atmosphere, while near the horizon the
   clear sky can appear more orange or red. In the Belt of Venus, the
   atmosphere reflects more light from the setting (or rising) Sun and so
   appears more red. Featured here, the Belt of Venus was photographed
   over several Himalayan mountains including, second from the right,
   Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth. Although usually not
   mentioned, the belt is frequently caught by accident in other
   photographs.

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