Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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 December 20
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                            A Solstice Sun Tattoo
                Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Marcella Pace

   Explanation: [5]The word solstice is from the Latin for Sun and to
   pause or stand still. And in the days surrounding a solstice the Sun's
   annual [6]north-south drift in planet Earth's sky does slow down,
   pause, and then reverse direction. So near the solstice the daily path
   of the Sun through the sky really doesn't change much. In fact, near
   the [7]December solstice, the Sun's consistent, low arc through
   northern hemisphere skies, along with low surface temperatures, has
   left a noticeable imprint on this path to the mountain town of Peaio in
   northern Italy. The morning frost on the road has melted away only
   where the sunlight was able to reach the ground. But it remains in the
   areas [8]persistently shadowed by the fence, [9]tattooing in frost an
   image of the fence on the asphalt surface.

               Tomorrow's picture: solstice on a tilted planet
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    Authors & editors: [21]Robert Nemiroff ([22]MTU) & [23]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([24]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [25]Specific rights apply.
            [26]NASA Web Privacy, [27]Accessibility, [28]Notices;
                A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC,
                         [32]NASA Science Activation
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/tatooimg_145020251217.jpeg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://greenflash.photo/about-me/
   5. https://www.readpoetry.com/5-comforting-poems-for-the-winter-solstice/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250102.html
   7. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-december-solstice/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110423.html
   9. https://greenflash.photo/portfolio/tatoo-solar/
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251219.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  14. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  16. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  19. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251220
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251221.html
  21. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  24. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  26. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  32. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/