July 29, 2009
A birthday is what happens when cosmic time briefly puts down the scale of eons and pays attention to a single human year.
The Milky Way Over Devils Tower
Birthday · July 29, 2009
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published July 29, 2009. Credit: Wally Pacholka. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Was Devils Tower once an explosive volcano? Famous for its appearance in films such as Close Encounters, the origin of Devil's Tower in Wyoming, USA is still debated, with a leading hypothesis holding that it is a hardened lava plume that probably never reached the surface to become a volcano. The lighter rock that once surrounded the dense volcanic neck has now eroded away, leaving the dramatic tower. High above, the central band of the Milky Way galaxy arches across the sky. Many notable sky objects are visible, including dark strands of the Pipe Nebula and the reddish Lagoon Nebula to the tower's right. Green grass and trees line the moonlit foreground, while clouds appear near the horizon to the tower's left. Unlike many other international landmarks, mountaineers are permitted to climb Devils Tower. Note: An APOD editor will review great space images this Saturday night at Ft. Wilkins, Michigan.
Image credit: Wally Pacholka