Astronomy - Picture of the Day (22.01.2017)

Astronomy - Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2017 January 22

SpaceX Falcon 9 to Orbit 
 Image Credit & Copyright: Tim Shortt, Florida Today Explanation: Birds don't fly this high.Airplanes don't go this fast. The Statue of Liberty weighs less. No speciesother than human can even comprehend what is going on, nor could any human just a millennium ago. The launch of a rocket bound for space is an event that inspires awe and challenges description. Pictured here, a SpaceX Falcon 9 V rocket lifted off through a cloud deck from Cape Canaveral, Florida last July to deliver cargo and supplies to theInternational Space Station. From a standing start, the 300,000+ kilogramrocket ship lifted its Dragon Capsuleup to circle the Earth, where the outside air is too thin to breathe.Rockets bound for space are nowlaunched from somewhere on Earthabout once a week.