马尔代夫夜空的珍宝

2022年3月28日

Gems of a Maldivean Night
Image Credit & Copyright: Petr Horálek (ESO Photo Ambassador, Inst. of Physics in Opava)

Explanation: The southernmost part of the Milky Way contains not only the stars of the Southern Cross, but the closest star system to our Sun — Alpha Centauri. The Southern Cross itself is topped by the bright, yellowish star Gamma Crucis. A line from Gamma Crucis through the blue star at the bottom of the cross, Acrux, points toward the south celestial pole, located just above the small island in the featured picture — taken in early March. That island is Madivaru of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Against faint Milky Way starlight, the dark Coal Sack Nebula lies just left of the cross, while farther left along the Milky Way are the bright stars Alpha Centauri (left) and Beta Centauri (Hadar). Alpha Centauri A, a Sun-like star anchoring a three-star system with exoplanets, is a mere 4.3 light-years distant. Seen from Alpha Centauri, our own Sun would be a bright yellowish star in the otherwise recognizable constellation Cassiopeia.

Almost Hyperspace: Random APOD Generator

Tomorrow’s picture: planet planet

马尔代夫夜空的珍宝
影像提供与版权: Petr Horálek (ESO Photo Ambassador, Inst. of Physics in Opava)

说明: 银河的最南缘不但拥有构成南十字的恒星，还有最邻近太阳的恒星系统南门二（Alpha Centauri）。南十字最顶端的恒星，是明亮的泛黄恒星十字架一。在这幅摄于今年三月稍早的主题影像里，十字架一和南十字底端的泛蓝十字架二之连线，直指位在小岛上方的南天极。这座岛则是印度洋马尔代夫的马迪瓦鲁岛。在银河昏暗星光的衬托下，黝黑的煤袋星云紧贴在南十字的左侧，更左侧银河里的亮星为南门二（左）和马腹一（Hadar）。距离只有4.3光年远的类太阳恒星南门二A，是它所在的三合星系统的最大恒星，并有系外行星为伴。如果从南门二看过来，我们的太阳是依然可辨的仙后座内之明亮泛黄恒星。 （Carina Nebula 船底座大星云）

几乎超空间：随机APOD生成器

明日的图片: planet planet