Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day we feature a different image or photograph
of our fascinating universe, along with a brief explanation written by a
December 22, 1995
Summer at the South Pole
December 22 marks the
Winter Solstice - the beginning of winter in the
Earth's northern hemisphere, and the first day of
summer in the south!
This view of Earth's southern hemisphere near the beginning of its
summer was created using images from the Galileo spacecraft taken during the
December 1990 flyby. Dramatically centered on
the South Pole,
this mosaic was constructed by piecing together images
made over a 24 hour period so that the surface appears to be
entirely in sunlight.
South America (middle left),
Africa (upper right), and Australia
(lower right), are visible as dark masses while
gleams brightly in the center. Swirling clouds marking the major weather
systems are also prominent.
Tomorrow's picture: Prometheus, Pandora and Saturn's F Ring
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