Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Gamma-Ray Earth and Sky

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 6, 2013 is “Gamma-Ray Earth and Sky,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: International Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration , NASA , DOE. The original explanation runs about 210 words.

Gamma-Ray Earth and Sky
Credit: Image Credit: International Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration , NASA , DOE Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“For an Earth-orbiting gamma-ray telescope, Earth is actually the brightest source of gamma-rays , the most energetic form of light. Gamma-rays from Earth are produced when high energy particles, cosmic rays from space , crash into the atmosphere.”

— APOD editors, December 6, 2013

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
December 6, 2013
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: International Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration , NASA , DOE
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 210 words

All of December 2013 → · 2013 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The Milky Way

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: December 6 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.