Astronomy Picture of the Day Archives

Brokenfriend · 08-30-2014, 02:01 AM

Here's a cool looking space picture.

2014 August 28: Messier 20 and 21.

BF

waves · 08-30-2014, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brokenfriend

Here's a cool looking space picture.

2014 August 28: Messier 20 and 21.

BF

archive link: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140828.html

image (click to open/zoom):

Quote:

Explanation: The beautiful Trifid Nebula, also known as Messier 20, is easy to find with a small telescope in the nebula rich constellation Sagittarius. About 5,000 light-years away, the colorful study in cosmic contrasts shares this well-composed, nearly 1 degree wide field with open star cluster Messier 21 (top right). Trisected by dust lanes the Trifid itself is about 40 light-years across and a mere 300,000 years old. That makes it one of the youngest star forming regions in our sky, with newborn and embryonic stars embedded in its natal dust and gas clouds. Estimates of the distance to open star cluster M21 are similar to M20's, but though they share this gorgeous telescopic skyscape there is no apparent connection between the two. In fact, M21's stars are much older, about 8 million years old.

Brokenfriend · 08-30-2014, 05:00 AM

Thank you Waves. BF

Lara · 08-30-2014, 05:43 AM

Yes, thank you waves and BF.

How incredible.

I just went back a little and saw the post for

2014 August 24: Mercurys Transit: An Unusual Spot on the sun

WOW.

Brokenfriend · 09-09-2014, 12:15 AM

Here's a colorful picture.

2014 September 09: An Aurora Cupcake with a Milky Way Topping.

BF

Mari · 09-09-2014, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brokenfriend

Here's a colorful picture.

2014 September 09: An Aurora Cupcake with a Milky Way Topping.

BF

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140909.html

Oh, wow. That is so neat.

Mari

Brokenfriend · 09-09-2014, 03:58 AM

Thank you for posting this Mari. BF

Brokenfriend · 09-13-2014, 11:45 PM

I liked the intense blue,and purple in this nebula.

2014 September 14: M27: The Dumbbell Nebula

BF

anon1028 · 09-14-2014, 12:56 AM

so peaceful...so distant and peaceful

Mari · 09-14-2014, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brokenfriend

I liked the intense blue,and purple in this nebula.

2014 September 14: M27: The Dumbbell Nebula

BF

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140914.html

Quote:

Explanation: The first hint of what will become of our Sun was discovered inadvertently in 1764. At that time, Charles Messier was compiling a list of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets. The 27th object on Messier's list, now known as M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a planetary nebula, the type of nebula our Sun will produce when nuclear fusion stops in its core.

M27 is one of the brightest planetary nebulae on the sky, and can be seen toward the constellation of the Fox (Vulpecula) with binoculars. It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27, shown above in colors emitted by hydrogen and oxygen.
Understanding the physics and significance of M27 was well beyond 18th century science.

Even today, many things remain mysterious about bipolar planetary nebula like M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an X-ray hot white dwarf.

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