Why is the sky blue?
This age-old question may not be unique to Earthlings after all.
Though its surface may look like many a barren terrain in our solar system,
this image actually depicts the sapphire haze around Pluto.
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Colors,
both those the human eye can see and those measured by other instruments,
tell scientists a lot about the distant worlds they are viewing.
Like on our own planet,
a blue sky often results from the scattering of sunlight by very small particles in the atmosphere.
What blocks light out in space can be just as important.
If you follow the outline of the planet very closely,
you can even see topographical features like mountains illuminated on the top right (near the 4 o’clock position).
Image Credit:
NASA/@johnshopkinsapl/@souhwestresearchinstitute #NASA #pluto #solarsystem #blueskies #science

This month brings the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower,
Mars rises with its "rival"
—
the red giant star Antares —
and the Moon and Venus pair up.

Watch this video to discover when and where to look up!
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“New year.
New me.”
—
the Sun.⁣
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🎊🌎☀️📅🥳🌅
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The very star we use to mark time and our place in the universe is itself constantly in flux.
Our Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite helps us understand the causes of solar variability and its impacts on Earth.
By measuring how the Sun's magnetic field is generated and structured,
we can study how it affects our lives and technology.
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Swipe ⬅️
to see solar images captured today in different wavelengths that scientists can use to paint a full picture of our constantly changing Sun.⁣
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Image Credit:
NASA⁣
⁣ #nasa #sunshine #newyearsday #newyear #newyearnewme #space