Matterhorn, Moon, Meteor & The Beehive Star Cluster

Matterhorn, Moon, Meteor & The Beehive Star Cluster

Fans of planet Earth probably recognize the Matterhorn in the foreground of this night skyscape. Famed in mountaineering history, the 4,478 meter Alpine mountain stands next to the totally eclipsed Moon. In spite of -22 degree C temperatures, this scene was captured on the mountains near Zermatt, Switzerland. Different exposures record the dim red light reflected by the Moon fully immersed in Earth's shadow. Seen directly above the famous Alpine peak, but about 600 light-years away, are the stars of the Praesepe or Beehive star cluster, also known as Messier 44. An added reward to the cold eclipse vigil, a bright and colorful meteor flashed below the temporarily dimmmed Moon, just tracing the Matterhorn's north-eastern climbing route along Hornli ridge. 

The Matterhorn is one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. It has been referred to as the "Mountain of Mountains" (German: Berg der Berge). It has become an emblem of the Alps and it is claimed to be the most photographed mountain in the world. The Matterhorn has four faces, each roughly oriented toward one of the four cardinal points. Three of these (north, east, and west) are on the Swiss side of the border and watershed, while the south face lies on the Italian side.

The Beehive Cluster (look above the Matterhorn) is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer. One of the nearest open clusters to Earth, it contains a larger population of stars than other nearby bright open clusters holding around 1,000 stars. Under dark skies, the Beehive Cluster looks like a small nebulous object to the naked eye, and has been known since ancient times. Classical Greco-Roman astronomer Claudius Ptolemy described it as a "nebulous mass in the breast of Cancer".

Image Credit & Copyright: Stephane Vetter
Stephane's website: http://www.nuitsacrees.fr/

Image Date: Jan. 21, 2019
Release Date: Jan., 24, 2019

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Moon #LunarEclipse #Earth #Matterhorn #Alps #Europe #Meteors #Stars #StarClusters #BeehiveCluster #Messier44 #NGC2632 #CancerConstellation #Astrophotography #StephaneVetter #Astrophotographer #Switzerland #Italy #Italia #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD