Apod 4.3

The dark sky here shows the alpha star of Canis Major, Orion the Hunter striking a pose familiar to northern winter skygazers. Above Orion is the V-shaped Hyades star cluster, head of Taurus the Bull, and farther still above Taurus it's easy to spot the compact Pleiades star cluster. Near the top of the frame you'll find the greenish coma and long tail of Comet Lovejoy, astronomical darling of these January nights. At the bottom if the picture, the Atlas V rocket can be seen blasting skyward carrying a U.S. Navy satellite piercing a cloud bank. On its way to orbit from Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, planet Earth, the rocket streaks past brightest star Sirius, as seen from a dark beach at Canaveral National Seashore.