The Milky Way Over Monument Valley
From NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day
From NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day
You don't have to be at Monument Valley to
see the Milky Way arch across the sky like this -- but it helps.
Only at Monument Valley USA would
you see a picturesque
foreground that includes these iconic rock peaks called buttes. Buttes are composed of
hard rock left behind after water has eroded
away the surrounding soft rock.
In the image taken about two months ago,
the closest butte on the left and the butte to its right are known as the Mittens, while Merrick
Butte can be seen just further to the right.
High overhead stretches a
band of diffuse light that is the central disk of our spiral Milky Way Galaxy.
The band of the Milky Way can be spotted
by almost anyone on almost any clear night when far enough from a city
and surrounding bright
lights.
Image Credit & Copyright: Wally
Pacholka (AstroPics.com, TWAN)