
November 5, 2024
Milky Way over Easter Island

November 5, 2024
Milky Way over Easter Island
A little universe, just for you
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APOD published November 5, 2024. Credit: Josh Dury. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Why were the statues on Easter Island built? No one is sure. What is sure is that over 900 large stone statues called moais exist there. The Rapa Nui (Easter Island) moais stand, on average, over twice as tall as a person and have over 200 times as much mass. It is thought that the unusual statues were created about 600 years ago in the images of local leaders of a vibrant and ancient civilization. Rapa Nui has been declared by UNESCO to a World Heritage Site. Pictured here, some of the stone giants were imaged last month under the central band of our Milky Way galaxy. Previously unknown moais are still being discovered. Alternative Multi-APOD Front Page: MyUniverseHub.com
Image credit: Josh Dury