                        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.

                                2026 August 1

                         Buck Moon and Belt of Venus
                    Image Credit & Copyright: Branko Nadj

   Explanation: The Buck Moon is a traditional name for the full moon of
   July. In this colorful Adriatic sea and skyscape captured on July 28
   from Krk Island along the coast of Croatia, a full Buck Moon is just
   rising over distant mountains. Since a full moon rises as the Sun sets,
   Earth's shadow also rises in the twilight scene, a diffuse gray band
   extending above the mountainous southeastern horizon. Above Earth's
   shadow band is the pinkish antitwilight arch. That subtly tinted band
   of backscattered sunlight is more widely known as the Belt of Venus.
   But as it shares the eastern horizon with the atmospheric shadow of
   Earth and Belt of Venus, this full Buck Moon seems to set the stage for
   the New Moon to come. The New Moon of August 12 will cast its shadow on
   planet Earth in a much anticipated total solar eclipse.

                    Tomorrow's picture: fire and rainbow
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
                  NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

