IRAN: Across the universe

The stars of the Milky Way spread out across the sky behind Iran's snow-capped Damavand Mountain. The country's highest peak rises 18,598 feet from sea level. The image, taken by Iranian photographer and astronomer Babak Tafreshi, is NASA's astronomy picture of the day.

Here's a description of what you're looking at:

In the sky to the left of Damavand's peak are the stars of the Big Dipper in Ursa Major. Pan to the right and your gaze will sweep across the arch of our Milky Way Galaxy above the Alborz Mountain Range bordering the Caspian Sea. Near the center of the panorama, recorded in the predawn hours of April 4th, bright stars Deneb and Altair lie close to the curve of the Milky Way, above the glow of the Haraz valley. Farther right, brilliant Jupiter dominates the sky near the stars, nebulae, and dark dust clouds toward the bulging galactic center. Finally, the horizon glow at the right edge, below bright yellowish giant star Antares, is from the city of Damavand, named for the legendary mountain peak.

Click here to see the whole image.

—Borzou Daragahi in Beirut

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