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.
2025 December 20
** A Solstice Sun Tattoo ** Image Credit & Copyright: Marcella Pace
** Explanation: ** The word solstice is from the Latin for Sun and to pause or stand still. And in the days surrounding a solstice the Sun’s annual north-south drift in planet Earth’s sky does slow down, pause, and then reverse direction. …
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.
2025 December 20
** A Solstice Sun Tattoo ** Image Credit & Copyright: Marcella Pace
** Explanation: ** The word solstice is from the Latin for Sun and to pause or stand still. And in the days surrounding a solstice the Sun’s annual north-south drift in planet Earth’s sky does slow down, pause, and then reverse direction. So near the solstice the daily path of the Sun through the sky really doesn’t change much. In fact, near the December solstice, the Sun’s consistent, low arc through northern hemisphere skies, along with low surface temperatures, has left a noticeable imprint on this path to the mountain town of Peaio in northern Italy. The morning frost on the road has melted away only where the sunlight was able to reach the ground. But it remains in the areas persistently shadowed by the fence, tattooing in frost an image of the fence on the asphalt surface.
** Tomorrow’s picture: **solstice on a tilted planet
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** Authors & editors: ** Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) **NASA Official: ** Amber Straughn Specific rights apply. NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices; A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.