Explanation:
A meteor's streak
and the
arc of the Milky Way hang over the
imposing mountain
fortress of Alamut
in this starry scene.
Found in the central
Alborz Mountains of Iran,
Alamut Castle was built into the rock in the 9th century.
The name means Eagle's Nest.
Home of the legendary Assassins featured in the adventure movie
Prince of Persia,
Alamut was also historically
a center for libraries and education.
For a time, it was the residence of important 13th century
Persian scholar and astronomer
Nasir
al-Din al-Tusi.
To identify the stars in a night sky Tusi certainly pondered, just
slide your cursor over the image.
Highlights include
bright white
stars Deneb (in Cygnus), Vega, and Altair, nebulae
near the Galactic Center,
and the dark obscuring dust clouds
of the Milky Way also known as
the Great Rift.
Lights at the lower right are from
small villages and the capital Tehran, over 100 kilometers away
to the southwest.
Poll:
Which of these submitted images would make the best future APOD?
