                        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 May 11

                      Moon Setting Behind Teide Volcano
    Video Credit & Copyright: Daniel López (El Cielo de Canarias); Music:
                        Piano della Moon (Dan Silva)

   Explanation: These people are not in danger. What is coming down from
   the left is just the Moon, far in the distance. Luna appears so large
   here because she is being photographed through a telescopic lens. What
   is moving is mostly the Earth, whose spin causes the Moon to slowly
   disappear behind Mount Teide, a volcano in the Canary Islands of Spain
   off the northwest coast of Africa. The people pictured are 16
   kilometers away and many are facing the camera because they are
   watching the Sun rise behind the photographer. It is not a coincidence
   that a full moon sets just when the Sun rises because the Sun is always
   on the opposite side of the sky from a full moon. The featured video
   was made in 2018 during a full Milk Moon. The video is not time-lapse
   -- this was really how fast the Moon was setting.

                     Tomorrow's picture: stellar cluster
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       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.

