Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day we feature a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

November 19, 1995

New York at Night
Credit: NASA, STS-59 Crew.

Explanation: This tantalizingly clear photo of New York City at night was taken by the astronauts during the Space Radar Laboratory mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavor in March of 1990. In this view, oriented with East up and North to the left, a dense constellation of lights defines the major metropolitan areas. Manhattan, outlined by the dark fingers of the Hudson river below and the East river above, is clearly visible along with the well lit southwestern tip of Long Island. Central Park is visible as a dark streak in the center of Manhattan's orange glow.

Tomorrow's picture: At the Core of M15

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (GMU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA).
NASA Technical Rep.: Sherri Calvo. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA/ GSFC