Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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.

                                2026 April 16
    [2]A dead tree branch on the foreground appears to support a spinning
    wheel of stars on the night sky. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                            South Celestial Tree
               Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Kiko Fairbairn
     Text: [5]Cecilia Chirenti ([6]NASA [7]GSFC, [8]UMCP, [9]CRESST II)

   Explanation: If you live in the [10]northern hemisphere, you may have
   learned how to [11]locate the North Star, [12]Polaris, in the night
   sky. It can be used to find north, and it approximately marks the
   [13]northern celestial pole. If you live in the southern hemisphere,
   there is no bright star marking the southern celestial pole, but the
   [14]Southern Cross can be used to find south. The [15]featured image
   was taken in [16]Padre Bernardo ([17]GO), [18]Brazil. It shows the
   apparent motion of the stars around the apparently empty southern
   celestial pole over 2 hours, on August 20, 2018. Each star takes
   [19]about 24 hours to make a complete turn around the pole in the sky.
   Padre Bernardo is located in the [20]Cerrado region, a tropical savanna
   that occupies most of central Brazil and supports rich
   [21]biodiversity. The barren branch that apparently supports this sky
   wheel of rotating stars is a common sight there in the [22]dry season
   during the southern winter.

                 Tomorrow's picture: starburst and superwind
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [38]Specific rights apply.
            [39]NASA Web Privacy, [40]Accessibility, [41]Notices;
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC,
                         [45]NASA Science Activation
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2604/Southern_Celestial_Pole.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.instagram.com/kikofairbairn/
   5. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sci/bio/cecilia.chirenti
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/
   8. https://www.astro.umd.edu/people/cecilia-chirenti
   9. https://cresst2.umd.edu/
  10. https://www.timeanddate.com/geography/southern-northern-hemisphere.html
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/what-is-the-north-star-and-how-do-you-find-it/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250114.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220728.html
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crux
  15. https://app.astrobin.com/u/kiko.fairbairn?i=362508
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padre_Bernardo
  17. https://www.britannica.com/place/Goias-state-Brazil
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil
  19. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/s/Sidereal+Day
  20. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/a-cerrado-above-it-all-154336/
  21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_anteater#/media/File:Myrmecophaga_tridactyla_345917023_(cropped).jpg
  22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerrado#Climate
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260415.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260416
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260417.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/