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.

2016 May 5

The SONG and the Hunter
Image Credit & Copyright: Mads Fredslund Andersen, Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Aarhus Univ., Denmark

Explanation: Near first quarter, the Moon in March lights this snowy, rugged landscape, a view across the top of Tenerife toward La Palma in the Canary Islands Spanish archipelago. The large Teide volcano, the highest point in Spain, looms over the horizon. Shining above are familiar bright stars of Orion, the Hunter. Adding to the dreamlike scene is the 1 meter diameter prototype telescope of the global network project called the Stellar Observations Network Group or SONG. The SONG’s fully robotic observatory was captured during the 30 second exposure while the observatory dome, with slit open, was rotated across the field of view.