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.

                              2021 December 23
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                          Three Planets and a Comet
            Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Tunc Tezel ([5]TWAN)

   Explanation: Are you still looking for that perfect holiday gift for an
   astronomer? If your night sky is dark and horizon clear enough, [6]the
   Solar System may have done your shopping for you. Send them outside
   after sunset to see three planets and a comet. In this snapshot of the
   December solstice evening sky from the village of Kirazli, Turkey the
   brightest celestial beacon is Venus, close to the southwestern horizon
   at the right. Look left and up to find Saturn shining between clouds.
   [7]Follow that line farther left and up to bright Jupiter, the Solar
   System's ruling gas giant. This year's surprise visitor to the inner
   Solar System, Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1), is near the horizon too.
   [8]The comet is fainter but forms a nearly equilateral triangle with
   planets Venus and Saturn in this view. After a [9]dramatic brightening
   in recent days the comet is just visible to the unaided eye, though a
   nice pair of binoculars is always [10]a good idea.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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    Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [26]Specific rights apply.
              [27]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [28]ASD at [29]NASA / [30]GSFC
                           & [31]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2112/20211221Tezel.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. http://www.twanight.org/tezel
   5. http://www.twanight.org/
   6. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/overview/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211219.html
   8. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/comet-leonard-might-become-2021s-brightest-2022/
   9. https://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=21&month=12&year=2021
  10. https://spaceweathergallery.com/index.php?title=leonard
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211222.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  20. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=211223
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211224.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  31. http://www.mtu.edu/