Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2026 June 15
   [2]The disk of the Sun is shown with a rocket launching through it. The
     rising rocket shows a plume behind it and three unusual waves curve
      around its top tip. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                  Triple Shockwave from Sun Crossing Rocket
          Image Credit & Copyright: [3]John Winkopp ([4]WAI Media)

   Explanation: What's happening to this Sun-crossing rocket? The SpaceX
   [5]Falcon 9 rocket, visible on the upper left, launched only about one
   minute before this amazing image was captured. As it rose to low Earth
   orbit from [6]Cape Canaveral, [7]Florida, [8]USA, in late May, the
   rocket became [9]supersonic before it [10]crossed the disk of the
   distant Sun -- from the perspective of the well-placed photographer.
   The spacecraft's high speed caused [11]bow-shaped compressed-air
   [12]shockwaves to form across leading surfaces, with at least three
   visible even outside [13]the Sun's disk because they [14]refract
   sunlight. The [15]trailing exhaust caused [16]turbulence visible on the
   lower right. None of this was damaging to the robotic [17]Starlink
   10-53 mission, which delivered 29 communications satellites to [18]low
   Earth orbit as planned. And if that isn't [19]amazing enough - the Sun
   had [20]spots!

      Sky Surprise: [21]What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                (after 1995)
                     Tomorrow's picture: rings and moons
     __________________________________________________________________

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     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply.
            [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices;
                A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC,
                         [44]NASA Science Activation
                           & [45]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2606/TripleSunShock_Winkopp_1108.jpg
   3. https://x.com/John_Winkopp
   4. https://www.whataboutit.space/crew
   5. https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap181001.html
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
   9. https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/supersonic/
  10. https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/1tu50bl/video_of_starlink_1053_solar_transit_this/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240104.html
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/seeing-shock-waves-86742/
  13. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlieren#Schlieren_flow_visualization
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260319.html
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbulence
  17. https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-10-53
  18. https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/commercial-space/low-earth-orbit-economy/
  19. https://media.istockphoto.com/id/1128004359/photo/close-up-scottish-fold-cat-head-with-shocking-face-and-wide-open-eyes-frighten-or-surprised.jpg
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260211.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260614.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260615
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260616.html
  33. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  34. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/
  35. https://inspirehep.net/authors/1073087
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  41. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/astrophysics/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  44. https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
  45. http://www.mtu.edu/