Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Rocket Plume Shadow Points to the Moon

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 11, 2024 is “Rocket Plume Shadow Points to the Moon,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: Pat McCracken, NASA. The original explanation runs about 161 words.

The long plume of a launching rocket is seen on the left side of the image. The upper part of the plume is bright, while the lower part is smokey brown. The bright part of the plume is illuminated by the Sun and casts a long and dark shadow
Credit: Image Credit: Pat McCracken, NASA Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Why would the shadow of a rocket’s launch plume point toward the Moon? In early 2001 during a launch of the space shuttle Atlantis , the Sun , Earth , Moon , and rocket were all properly aligned for this photogenic coincidence .”

— APOD editors, February 11, 2024

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
February 11, 2024
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: Pat McCracken, NASA
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 161 words

All of February 2024 → · 2024 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The MoonThe Sun

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: February 11 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.