April 12, 2014
Long before your first heartbeat, stars were busy forging the elements you would one day call your own.
Clouds and Crosses over Haleakala
Birthday · April 12, 2014
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published April 12, 2014. Credit: Wally Pacholka. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Aloha and welcome to a breathtaking skyscape. The dreamlike panoramic view from March 27 looks out over the 10,000 foot summit of Haleakala on Maui, Hawai'i. A cloud layer seeps over the volcanic caldera's edge with the Milky Way and starry night sky above. Head of the Northern Cross asterism, supergiant star Deneb lurks within the Milky Way's dust clouds and nebulae at the left. From there you can follow the arc of the Milky Way all the way to the stars of the more compact Southern Cross, just above the horizon at the far right. Bright Saturn is near the top right of the frame, with red giant Antares below it and left, closer to the Milky Way's central bulge. Need some help identifying the stars? Just slide your cursor over the picture, or download this labeled panorama. (Editor's Note: After some more help identifying the stars, the identification of Mars in the original posting was replaced with Saturn - updated April 15.)
Image credit: Wally Pacholka