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.

                              2023 December 29
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                            Shakespeare in Space
               Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]CSA, [6]STScI

   Explanation: In 1986, Voyager 2 became the only spacecraft to explore
   [7]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 [8]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 [9]annotated in the image.
   The brighter ones show hints of Webb's characteristic [10]diffraction
   spikes. And though these worlds of the outer Solar System were unknown
   in [11]Shakespearean times, all but two of the 27 Uranian moons are
   [12]named for characters in the English Bard's plays.

                 Tomorrow's picture: the cold and tired moon
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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply.
              [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC,
                         [33]NASA Science Activation
                           & [34]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2312/STScI-UranusJWST.png
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/
   6. https://www.stsci.edu/
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/uranus/
   8. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/150/01HHFNNWQTA69J6K680PVZN4A1
   9. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2023/150/01HHFQ5BKDZNM2KAP22SZARN0S
  10. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/01G529MX46J7AFK61GAMSHKSSN
  11. https://www.folger.edu/podcasts/shakespeare-unlimited/shakespearean-moons-uranus/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap990227.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231228.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231229
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231230.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  34. http://www.mtu.edu/