Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Milky Way Behind Three Merlons

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 7, 2024 is “Milky Way Behind Three Merlons,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Donato Lioce ; Text: Natalia Lewandowska ( SUNY Oswego )). The original explanation runs about 133 words.

A starry sky is seen through a rectangular rock opening. Three rocky peaks appear toward the right, while other peaks appear toward the left. Rising above the right peaks is the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy. Please see the explanati
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Donato Lioce ; Text: Natalia Lewandowska ( SUNY Oswego ) Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“To some, they look like battlements, here protecting us against the center of the Milky Way . The Three Merlon s, also called the Three Peaks of Lavaredo , stand tall today because they are made of dense dolomite rock which has better resisted erosion than surrounding softer rock.”

— APOD editors, August 7, 2024

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
August 7, 2024
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Donato Lioce ; Text: Natalia Lewandowska ( SUNY Oswego )
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 133 words

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Topics in this entry

The Milky Way

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: August 7 in other years

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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.