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.

September 27, 1996
See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.

Welcome Home Shannon Lucid
Credit: STS-79, Space Station Mir, NASA

Explanation: Today is Shannon Lucid's first day on Planet Earth in six months. Her stay aboard Russia's Mir Space Station was of record length - the longest stay of any American in space ever. During her time in orbit around the Earth, Lucid, a biochemist, did many things including experiments on the effect of weightlessness on the human body. Pictured above, Lucid greets the astronaut that will replace her on Mir, John Blaha.

Tomorrow's picture: A Soyuz at Mir

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA).
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