
March 30, 2012
The Grand Canyon in Moonlight

March 30, 2012
The Grand Canyon in Moonlight
A little universe, just for you
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APOD published March 30, 2012. Credit: Malcolm Park. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
In this alluring night skyscape recorded on March 26, a young Moon stands over the distant western horizon in conjunction with brilliant planet Venus. In the foreground, the Colorado River glistens in moonlight as it winds through the Grand Canyon, seen from the canyon's southern rim at Lipan Point. Of course, the Grand Canyon is known as one of the wonders of planet Earth. Carved by the river, the enormous fissure is about 270 miles (440 kilometers) long, up to 18 miles (30 kilometers) wide and approaches 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) deep. On this date, wonders of the night sky included the compact Pleiades and V-shaped Hyades star clusters poised just above the Moon. Bright planet Jupiter is below the closer Moon/Venus pairing, near the western horizon.
Image credit: Malcolm Park