                        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 December 29

                            Shakespeare in Space
                     Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

   Explanation: In 1986, Voyager 2 became the only spacecraft to explore
   ice giant planet Uranus close up. Still, this newly released image from
   the NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) on the James Webb Space Telescope
   offers a detailed look at the distant world. The tilted outer planet
   rotates on its axis once in about 17 hours. Its north pole is presently
   pointed near our line of sight, offering direct views of its northern
   hemisphere and a faint but extensive system of rings. Of the giant
   planet's 27 known moons, 14 are annotated in the image. The brighter
   ones show hints of Webb's characteristic diffraction spikes. And though
   these worlds of the outer Solar System were unknown in Shakespearean
   times, all but two of the 27 Uranian moons are named for characters in
   the English Bard's plays.

                 Tomorrow's picture: the cold and tired moon
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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