Each day we feature a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. This view of Earth's southern hemisphere near the beginning of its summer was created using images from the Galileo spacecraft taken during the December 1990 flyby . Dramatically centered on the South Pole , this mosaic was constructed by piecing together images made over a 24 hour period so that the surface appears to be entirely in sunlight. Swirling clouds marking the major weather systems are also prominent.
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