Astronomy Picture of the Day

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                               2018 November 17
                                      [2]
                            The Tarantula Nebula
  Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Peter Ward ( Barden Ridge Observatory [4] )

Explanation: The Tarantula Nebula [5] , also known as 30 Doradus, is more than
a thousand light-years in diameter, a giant star forming region within nearby
satellite galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud [6] . About 180 thousand
light-years away, it's the largest, most violent star forming region known in
the whole Local Group of galaxies. The cosmic arachnid sprawls across this
spectacular view, composed with narrowband filter data centered on emission
from ionized hydrogen atoms. Within the Tarantula [7]  (NGC 2070), intense
radiation, stellar winds and supernova shocks from the central young cluster
of massive stars, cataloged as R136 [8] , energize the nebular glow and shape
the spidery filaments. Around the Tarantula [9]  are other star forming
regions with young star clusters, filaments, and blown-out bubble-shaped [10]
clouds. In fact, the frame includes the site of the closest supernova in
modern times, SN 1987A [11] , left of center. The rich field of view spans
about 1 degree or 2 full moons, in the southern constellation Dorado [12] .
But were the Tarantula Nebula closer, say 1,500 light-years distant like the
local star forming Orion Nebula [13] , it would take up half the sky.

                  Still going on: Leonid Meteor Shower [14]
                   Tomorrow's picture: creature over Norway

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [26] (MTU [27] ) & Jerry Bonnell [28]
                                  (UMCP [29] )
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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1811/ward30DoradusHaLRGB.jpg
  [3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [4] http://www.atscope.com.au/BRO/ bardenridgeobs.html
  [5] http://messier.seds.org/xtra/ngc/n2070.html
  [6] ap171013.html
  [7] http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/rele... image/c/
  [8] ap010730.html
  [9] image/1602/Tarantula-HST-ESO-annotated1800.jpg
  [10] ap080327.html
  [11] http://heritage.stsci.edu/1999/04/supplementa...
  [12] http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/dor/
  [13] ap151104.html
  [14] https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/
everything-you-need-to-know-leonid-meteor-shower
  [15] ap181116.html
  [16] archivepix.html
  [17] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [18] lib/aptree.html
  [19] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apo...
  [20] calendar/allyears.html
  [21] /apod.rss
  [22] lib/edlinks.html
  [23] lib/about_apod.html
  [24] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?dat...
  [25] ap181118.html
  [26] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [27] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [28] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnel...
  [29] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [30] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [31] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Priv...
  [32] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [33] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [34] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [35] http://www.mtu.edu/

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