ASTRONOMY PICTURE

OF THE DAY

APRIL 29, 2006

Skylab Over Earth

EXPLANATION

Skylab was an orbiting laboratory launched by a Saturn V rocket in May 1973. Skylab, pictured above, was visited three times by NASA astronauts who sometimes stayed as long as two and a half months. Many scientific tests were performed on Skylab, including astronomical observations in ultraviolet and X-ray light. Some of these observations yielded valuable information about Comet Kohoutek, our Sun and about the mysterious X-ray background—radiation that comes from all over the sky. Skylab fell back to earth on 11 July 1979.

Credit

Skylab, NASA