                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2025 May 5
   The featured image shows a night sky over some choppy water. The planet
   Venus shines high in the night sky, while a faint Saturn in on the far
     right. The crescent Moon is visible near the image center. A bright
     boat beacon is also visible on the right. All of these objects are
   reflected as lines in the foreground water. Please see the explanation
                       for more detailed information.

                          Planet Lines Across Water
                Image Credit & Copyright: Jose Antonio Hervas

   Explanation: What’s causing those lines? Objects in the sky sometimes
   appear reflected as lines across water — but why? If the water’s
   surface is smooth, then reflected objects would appear similarly -- as
   spots. But if the water is choppy, then there are many places where
   light from the object can reflect off the water and still come to you
   -- and so together form, typically, a line. The same effect is
   frequently seen for the Sun just before sunset and just after sunrise.
   Pictured about 10 days ago in Ibiza, Spain, images of the setting Moon,
   Venus (top), and Saturn (right, faint) were captured both directly and
   in line-reflected forms from the Mediterranean Sea. The other bright
   object on the right with a water-reflected line is a beacon on a rock
   to warn passing boats.

                Explore Your Universe: Random APOD Generator
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     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

