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Birthday · May 7, 2011

Dawn of the Planets

May 7, 2011

The same forces that sculpt nebulae and spin galaxies into existence were at work the day you were born.

Dawn of the Planets

A little universe, just for you

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APOD published May 7, 2011. Credit: Luis Argerich. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.

Behind the image

Dawn of the Planets

Original APOD · May 7, 2011

This month, four of the five naked-eye planets gather along the eastern horizon near dawn. The celestial grouping is seen here just before sunrise on May 5, from a beach near Buenos Aires, Argentina. Starting near the top of the frame, the brightest beacon is Venus. Mercury is below and right of Venus and brilliant Jupiter is lower still, near image center. Below Jupiter, Mars is relatively faint and struggles the most to shine through a thin cloud bank and the warming twilight glow. Watch, and as the month progresses the tantalizing configuration will change, with Mars and Jupiter moving higher while Venus and Mercury wander through the sky closer to the rising sun.

Image credit: Luis Argerich

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