                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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 September 19

                              A Zodiacal Night
           Image Credit & Copyright: Neelam and Ajay Talwar (TWAN)

   Explanation: Also known as the false dawn, a luminous band of zodiacal
   light is captured in this dark night skyscape. The serene view was
   recorded just before the beginning of astronomical twilight during
   September's star party at the remote Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, Ladakh,
   India, planet Earth. At about 4,500 meters altitude, the dark sky
   reserve presents a haven for hardy stargazing and astrophotography
   enthusiasts. While meteors streak through the night, bright planet
   Jupiter appears immersed in the faint zodiacal glow near the eastern
   horizon. Follow the zodiacal band toward the zenith to find open star
   cluster M44 and a yellowish tinged planet Mars near the center of the
   frame. In fact, serendipitous detections of interplanetary dust by
   NASA's Juno spacecraft suggest Mars itself is the source of dust that
   back scatters sunlight and creates zodiacal light in planet Earth's
   night.

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                     Tomorrow's picture: only sunny days
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