Yuri Beletsky, who is based in Chile, posted this wonderful photo of the Milky Way and the zodiacal light to EarthSky Facebook. The Milky Way is, of course, the edgewise view into our own galaxy. We see it as the combined light of billions of years, interspersed by dark clouds of dust in which new stars are forming. The zodiacal light, meanwhile, is part of our own solar system. It’s sunlight reflecting on dust grains that move between the planets, in the flat solar system plane.
Two very different night sky phenomena, both very beautiful. Thank you, Yuri!
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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