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A Sirius culmination
Photo by Project Nightflight during a culmination of the sky's brightest star, Sirius, above the volcanos of La Palma in the Canary Islands.
December 30, 2016
Venus and a cloud shadow
Another sunset spectacle from Peter Lowenstein's hilltop perch above Mutare, Zimbabwe.
December 28, 2016
Arc and 2 sundogs over Illinois
Halos like this one around the sun or moon are caused by ice crystal high in Earth's sky. Notice the upside-down rainbow-like arc above. It's called a circumzenithal arc.
December 27, 2016
Snow in the Sahara Desert
Snow in a place where summertime temperatures are high - though wintertime temps can drop to freezing - and where precipitation from the skies is rare.
December 26, 2016
Solstice sun rolling down the hill
An 8-frame animation of the sun setting behind Tijuca Peak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 10 hours after the Southern Hemisphere's summer solstice.
December 24, 2016
Setting sun apparition
"A couple of bright blobs of orange light appeared for one minute ... in almost the exact position where the sun usually sets for the few days around our summer solstice."
December 23, 2016
Snow, lit by full moon, from space
An Arctic air mass brought snow to the northern U.S. last week. A lake-effect snow followed an earlier snow accumulation. A NASA satellite caught the view from space, under full moonlight.
December 20, 2016
Ursid meteors are flying
The moon is up during the best hours for watching (after midnight). Still, people are catching Ursid meteors. This one was a bright one! The Ursid shower peaks this week.
December 19, 2016
Ice monster lighthouse
"The lighthouse is starting to look like an ice monster," said Joshua Nowicki. He took this shot on December 15 on the north pier in Saint Joseph, Michigan.
December 17, 2016
