Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

RBSP Night Launch

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for September 2, 2012 is “RBSP Night Launch,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Mike Killian). The original explanation runs about 128 words.

RBSP Night Launch
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Mike Killian Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“This graceful arc traces an Atlas V rocket climbing through Thursday’s early morning skies over Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA. Snug inside the rocket’s Centaur upper stage were NASA’s twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) , now in separate orbits within planet Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts.”

— APOD editors, September 2, 2012

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
September 2, 2012
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Mike Killian
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 128 words

All of September 2012 → · 2012 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

On this day: September 2 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

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.