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image credit & copyright: Taha Ghouchkanlu




what glows in the night ?

this night, several unusual glows were evident -- some near, but some far

the foreground surf glimmers blue with the light of bioluminescent plankton

next out, Earth's atmosphere dims the horizon and provides a few opaque clouds

farther out, the planet Venus glows bright near the image center

if you slightly avert your eyes, a diagonal beam of light will stand out crossing behind Venus

this band is zodiacal light, sunlight scattered by dust in our Solar System

much farther away are numerous single bright stars, most closer than 100 light years away

farthest away, also rising diagonally and making a "V" with the zodiacal light, is the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy

most of the billions of Milky Way stars and dark clouds are thousands of light years away

the featured image was taken on the Iranian coast of Gulf of Oman






















in apod.nasa.gov/apod