Astronomy Picture of the Day · February 20, 2009

Snake in the Dark

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 20, 2009 is “Snake in the Dark,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Guisard (Los Cielos de Chile)). The original explanation runs about 168 words.

From the explanation

“Dark nebulae snake across a gorgeous expanse of stars in this telescopic view toward the pronounceable constellation Ophiuchus and the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. In fact, the twisting central shape seen here is well known as the Snake Nebula.”

— APOD editors, February 20, 2009

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: February 20, 2009
Type: Image
Credit: Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Guisard (Los Cielos de Chile)
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 168 words

All of February 2009 → · 2009 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The Milky Way Nebulae Galaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: February 20 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, February 20, 2009 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2009-february-20-snake-in-the-dark

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.