No, that"s not a downpour of lightsabers—but it"s no typical night sky either. Stargazing here at Paranal Observatory, on a mountaintop in Chile"s desolate Atacama Desert, you"ll get one of the clearest possible naked-eye views of the southern skies. This "lightsaber" effect comes from the photo"s long exposure: What we"re seeing is these stars" paths as they track across the night sky due to our planet"s rotation. The dazzling colors indicate temperature, from chilly red (5,000-ish degrees Fahrenheit) to balmy blue (temps in the tens of thousands).
Happy Astronomy Day!
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Engineering an artificial harbor in Normandy
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International Cheetah Day
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Take the plunge into 2021
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Cuban tody, Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, Cuba
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World Rainforest Day
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Happy Bee Day to you
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Earth Science Week
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Bobbio, Italy
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Nakupenda Beach Nature Reserve, Zanzibar, Tanzania
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Bay Marker Lookout, Sydney Olympic Park, Australia
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Join the parade for World Elephant Day
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World Wildlife Day
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Honoring the rangers on World Ranger Day
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Don’t get lost in there
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The Badlands celebrates a milestone
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A winter light show
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Chestnut-headed bee-eaters, Bardia National Park, Nepal
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Spring equinox
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Bowling Ball Beach in Mendocino County, California
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World Children s Day
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A peek behind the royal curtain
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Arches National Park anniversary
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Get on your bike and ride
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A narrow passage
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Autumn comes to Old Town
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Red-necked grebes during breeding season
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Necropolis of Dargavs
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A spectacle unlike any other
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Fibonacci Day
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Take me to the river
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

