APOD: 2022 November 15 - Wolfs Cave Nebula Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 15 Wolf's Cave Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Gianni Lacroce Explanation: The mysterious blue reflection nebula found in catalogs as VdB 152 or Ced 201 really is very faint.It lies at the tip of the longdark nebula Barnard 175 in adusty complex that has also been calledWolf's Cave.At the center of this deep telescopic view, the cosmic apparitions are nearly 1,400 light-years away along the northern Milky Wayin the royal constellation Cepheus.Interstellar dust in the region blocks light frombackground stars and scatters light from the embedded bright star,giving the end nebula its characteristic blue color.Though stars do form inmolecular clouds, this starseems to have only accidentally wanderedinto the area, as its measured velocity throughspace is very different from the cloud's velocity.At the image bottom is the planetary nebula Dengel-Hartl 5, whilered glowing gas from an ancient supernova remnant is also visible along the image's right side. Tomorrow's picture: open space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert...
APOD: 2022 November 14 - NGC 7380: The Wizard Nebula Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 14 NGC 7380: The Wizard Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Ioan Popa Explanation: What powers are being wielded in the Wizard Nebula? Gravitation strong enough to form stars, and stellar winds and radiations powerful enough to create and dissolve towers of gas. Located only 8,000 light years away, the Wizard nebula, featured here, surrounds developing open star cluster NGC 7380. Visually, the interplay of stars, gas, and dust has created a shape that appears to some like a fictional medieval sorcerer. The active star forming region spans 100 about light years, making it appear larger than the angular extent of the Moon. The Wizard Nebula can be located with a small telescope toward the constellation of the King of Aethiopia (Cepheus). Although the nebula may last only a few million years, some of the stars being formed may outlive our Sun. Tomorrow's picture: in wolf's cave <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry...
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 15 Wolf's Cave Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Gianni Lacroce Explanation: The mysterious blue reflection nebula found in catalogs as VdB 152 or Ced 201 really is very faint.It lies at the tip of the longdark nebula Barnard 175 in adusty complex that has also been calledWolf's Cave.At the center of this deep telescopic view, the cosmic apparitions are nearly 1,400 light-years away along the northern Milky Wayin the royal constellation Cepheus.Interstellar dust in the region blocks light frombackground stars and scatters light from the embedded bright star,giving the end nebula its characteristic blue color.Though stars do form inmolecular clouds, this starseems to have only accidentally wanderedinto the area, as its measured velocity throughspace is very different from the cloud's velocity.At the image bottom is the planetary nebula Dengel-Hartl 5, whilered glowing gas from an ancient supernova remnant is also visible along the image's right side. Tomorrow's picture: open space <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell...
APOD: 2022 November 13 - Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 13 Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert Image Credit: USAF 388th Range Sqd., Genesis Mission, NASA Explanation: A flying saucer from outer space crash-landed in the Utah desert after being tracked by radar and chased by helicopters. The year was 2004, and no space aliens were involved. The saucer, pictured here, was the Genesis sample return capsule, part of a human-made robotGenesis spaceship launched in 2001 by NASA itself to study the Sun. The unexpectedlyhard landingat over 300 kilometers per hour occurred because theparachutes did not open as planned. The Genesis mission had been orbiting theSun collectingsolar wind particles that areusually deflected away byEarth's magnetic field.Despite the crash landing, many return samples remained in good enough condition to analyze.So far, Genesis-related discoveries include new details about thecomposition of theSun and how the abundance of some types of elements differ across the Solar System.These results have provided intriguing clues into details of how the Sun and planets formed billions of years ago. Tomorrow's...
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 14 NGC 7380: The Wizard Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Ioan Popa Explanation: What powers are being wielded in the Wizard Nebula? Gravitation strong enough to form stars, and stellar winds and radiations powerful enough to create and dissolve towers of gas. Located only 8,000 light years away, the Wizard nebula, featured here, surrounds developing open star cluster NGC 7380. Visually, the interplay of stars, gas, and dust has created a shape that appears to some like a fictional medieval sorcerer. The active star forming region spans 100 about light years, making it appear larger than the angular extent of the Moon. The Wizard Nebula can be located with a small telescope toward the constellation of the King of Aethiopia (Cepheus). Although the nebula may last only a few million years, some of the stars being formed may outlive our Sun. Tomorrow's picture: in wolf's cave <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific...
APOD: 2022 November 12 - Eclipse in the City Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 12 Eclipse in the City Image Credit &Copyright: Stan Honda Explanation: A darker Moon sets over Manhattan in this night skyscape.The 16 frame composite was assembled from consecutiveexposures recorded during theNovember 8 total lunar eclipse.In the timelapse sequence stars leave short trails above theurban skyline,while the Moon remains immersedin Earth's shadow.But the International Space Station was just emergingfrom the shadowinto the sunlit portion of its low Earth orbit.As seen fromNew York City, the visible streak of this ISS flyover startsnear a star in Taurus and tracks right to left,through the belt of Orion and over Sirius, alpha star of Canis Major.Gaps along the bright trail of the fast moving orbital outpost(and an aircraft flying closer to the horizon)mark the time between individual exposures in the sequence.The trail of bright planet Mars is at the top of the frame.Pleiadesstar cluster trails are high over the eclipsed Moon andEmpire State Building. Lunar Eclipse of November 2022: Notable Submissions to APOD Love Eclipses? (US): Apply to become a NASA...
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 13 Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert Image Credit: USAF 388th Range Sqd., Genesis Mission, NASA Explanation: A flying saucer from outer space crash-landed in the Utah desert after being tracked by radar and chased by helicopters. The year was 2004, and no space aliens were involved. The saucer, pictured here, was the Genesis sample return capsule, part of a human-made robotGenesis spaceship launched in 2001 by NASA itself to study the Sun. The unexpectedlyhard landingat over 300 kilometers per hour occurred because theparachutes did not open as planned. The Genesis mission had been orbiting theSun collectingsolar wind particles that areusually deflected away byEarth's magnetic field.Despite the crash landing, many return samples remained in good enough condition to analyze.So far, Genesis-related discoveries include new details about thecomposition of theSun and how the abundance of some types of elements differ across the Solar System.These results have provided intriguing clues into details of how the Sun and planets formed billions of years ago. Tomorrow's picture: sky wizard <| Archive| Submissions |...
APOD: 2022 November 11 - Blood Moon, Ice Giant Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 11 Blood Moon, Ice Giant Image Credit &Copyright: Ryan Han Explanation: On November 8 the Full Moonturned blood red as it slid through Earth'sshadow in a beautiful total lunar eclipse.During totalityit also passed in front of, orocculted, outer planet Uranusfor eclipse viewers located in parts of northern America and Asia.For a close-up and wider viewthese two images were taken just before the occultation began,captured with different telescopes and camerasfrom the same roof top in Shanghai, China.Normally very faint compared to a Full Moon, the tiny,pale, greenish disk of thedistant ice giantis just to the left of the Moon's edge and aboutto disappear behind the darkened, red lunar limb.Though only visible from certain locations across planet Earth,lunar occultations of planets arefairly common.But for this rare "lunar eclipse occultation" to take place,at the time of the total eclipse the outer planet had to be both atopposition and very near the ecliptic plane tofall in line with Sun, Earth, and Moon. Lunar Eclipse of November 2022: Notable Submissions to...
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 12 Eclipse in the City Image Credit &Copyright: Stan Honda Explanation: A darker Moon sets over Manhattan in this night skyscape.The 16 frame composite was assembled from consecutiveexposures recorded during theNovember 8 total lunar eclipse.In the timelapse sequence stars leave short trails above theurban skyline,while the Moon remains immersedin Earth's shadow.But the International Space Station was just emergingfrom the shadowinto the sunlit portion of its low Earth orbit.As seen fromNew York City, the visible streak of this ISS flyover startsnear a star in Taurus and tracks right to left,through the belt of Orion and over Sirius, alpha star of Canis Major.Gaps along the bright trail of the fast moving orbital outpost(and an aircraft flying closer to the horizon)mark the time between individual exposures in the sequence.The trail of bright planet Mars is at the top of the frame.Pleiadesstar cluster trails are high over the eclipsed Moon andEmpire State Building. Lunar Eclipse of November 2022: Notable Submissions to APOD Love Eclipses? (US): Apply to become a NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador Tomorrow's...
APOD: 2022 November 10 - Total Lunar Eclipse Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 10 Total Lunar Eclipse Image Credit: KPNO / NOIRLab /NSF /AURA / Petr Horalek(Institute of Physics in Opava) Explanation: The beginning, middle, and endof a journey through planet Earth's colorfulumbral shadowis captured in this timelapse composite image of atotal lunar eclipse.Taken onNovember 8from Kitt Peak National Observatorythis eclipse's 1 hour and 25 minute long total phase starts on the right and finishes on the left.Reddened sunlight, scattered into the central shadow by Earth'sdusty atmosphere produces thedramatic dark red hues reflected by the lunar disk.For this eclipse, additional reddening is likely due to scatteringfrom ash lingering in the atmosphere after a largevolcanic eruption in the southern Pacificearlier this year.Seen at the right and left, the Earth's shadow is still lighteralong its edge though.That faint bluish fringealong the lunar limb is colored bysunlight filtered through Earth's stratosphericozone layer. Lunar Eclipse of November 2022: Notable Submissions to APOD Love Eclipses? (US): Apply to become a NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador Tomorrow's picture: ice giant, red moon <| Archive| Submissions | Index|...
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 11 Blood Moon, Ice Giant Image Credit &Copyright: Ryan Han Explanation: On November 8 the Full Moonturned blood red as it slid through Earth'sshadow in a beautiful total lunar eclipse.During totalityit also passed in front of, orocculted, outer planet Uranusfor eclipse viewers located in parts of northern America and Asia.For a close-up and wider viewthese two images were taken just before the occultation began,captured with different telescopes and camerasfrom the same roof top in Shanghai, China.Normally very faint compared to a Full Moon, the tiny,pale, greenish disk of thedistant ice giantis just to the left of the Moon's edge and aboutto disappear behind the darkened, red lunar limb.Though only visible from certain locations across planet Earth,lunar occultations of planets arefairly common.But for this rare "lunar eclipse occultation" to take place,at the time of the total eclipse the outer planet had to be both atopposition and very near the ecliptic plane tofall in line with Sun, Earth, and Moon. Lunar Eclipse of November 2022: Notable Submissions to APOD Love Eclipses? (US):...
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 10 Total Lunar Eclipse Image Credit: KPNO / NOIRLab /NSF /AURA / Petr Horalek(Institute of Physics in Opava) Explanation: The beginning, middle, and endof a journey through planet Earth's colorfulumbral shadowis captured in this timelapse composite image of atotal lunar eclipse.Taken onNovember 8from Kitt Peak National Observatorythis eclipse's 1 hour and 25 minute long total phase starts on the right and finishes on the left.Reddened sunlight, scattered into the central shadow by Earth'sdusty atmosphere produces thedramatic dark red hues reflected by the lunar disk.For this eclipse, additional reddening is likely due to scatteringfrom ash lingering in the atmosphere after a largevolcanic eruption in the southern Pacificearlier this year.Seen at the right and left, the Earth's shadow is still lighteralong its edge though.That faint bluish fringealong the lunar limb is colored bysunlight filtered through Earth's stratosphericozone layer. Tomorrow's picture: ice giant, red moon <| Archive| Submissions | Index| Search| Calendar| RSS| Education| About APOD| Discuss| > Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff(MTU) &Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip NewmanSpecific rights apply.NASA WebPrivacy Policy...
APOD: 2022 November 9 - The Asymmetric Nebula Surrounding Wolf Rayet Star 18 Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 9 The Asymmetric Nebula Surrounding Wolf-Rayet Star 18 Image Credit & Copyright: Alex Woronow Explanation: Why does the nebula around the star WR-18 shine brighter on one side?Also known as NGC 3199, this active star and its surrounding nebula lie about 12,000 light-years away toward the nautical southern constellationof Carina.The featured deep image has been highly processed to bring out filamentary details of the glowing gas in the bubble-shaped nebula. The nebula is about 75 light-years across.Near the nebula's center is aWolf-Rayet star, WR-18, which is a massive, hot, short-lived star that generates an intense and complex stellar wind.In fact, Wolf-Rayet stars are known to create nebulaswith interesting shapesas their powerful winds sweep up surroundinginterstellarmaterial.In this case, the bright right edge was initially thought to indicate that abow shock was being produced as the star plowed through a uniform medium, like a boat through water.Recent measurements and analyses, however, have shown the star is not moving quickly toward the bright edge.A more...
Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 9 The Asymmetric Nebula Surrounding Wolf-Rayet Star 18 Image Credit & Copyright: Alex Woronow Explanation: Why does the nebula around the star WR-18 shine brighter on one side?Also known as NGC 3199, this active star and its surrounding nebula lie about 12,000 light-years away toward the nautical southern constellationof Carina.The featured deep image has been highly processed to bring out filamentary details of the glowing gas in the bubble-shaped nebula. The nebula is about 75 light-years across.Near the nebula's center is aWolf-Rayet star, WR-18, which is a massive, hot, short-lived star that generates an intense and complex stellar wind.In fact, Wolf-Rayet stars are known to create nebulaswith interesting shapesas their powerful winds sweep up surroundinginterstellarmaterial.In this case, the bright right edge was initially thought to indicate that abow shock was being produced as the star plowed through a uniform medium, like a boat through water.Recent measurements and analyses, however, have shown the star is not moving quickly toward the bright edge.A more likely explanation has emerged that thematerial surrounding the...
APOD: 2022 November 8 - Galaxies: Wilds Triplet from Hubble Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe isfeatured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 November 8 Galaxies: Wild's Triplet from Hubble Image Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, J. Dalcanton Explanation: How many galaxies are interacting here? This grouping of galaxies is called the Wild Triplet, not only for the discoverer, but for the number of bright galaxies that appear.It had been assumed that all three galaxies, collectively cataloged as Arp 248, are interacting, but more recent investigations reveal that only the brightest two galaxies are sparring gravitationally: the big galaxies at the top and bottom.The spiral galaxy in the middle of the featured image by the Hubble Space Telescope is actually far in the distance, as is the galaxy just below it and all of the other numerous galaxies in the field. A striking result of these giants jousting is a tremendous bridge of stars, gas, and dust that stretches between them -- a bridge almost 200,000 light-years long.Light we see today from Wild's Triplet left about 200 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.In perhaps a billion...