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.

                                  2019 May 13
                                      [2]
                           Rho Ophiuchi Wide Field
          Image Credit & Copyright: Mario Cogo [3] (Galax Lux [4] )

Explanation: The colorful clouds surrounding the star system Rho Ophiuchi
compose one of the closest star forming regions. Rho Ophiuchi itself [5]  is a
binary star system [6]  visible in the blue reflection nebula just to the left
of the image center. The star system, located only 400 light years [7]  away,
is distinguished by its multi-colored surroundings [8] , which include a red
emission nebula [9]  and numerous light and dark brown dust lanes. Near the
lower left of the Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud system [10]  is the yellow star
Antares [11] , while a distant but coincidently-superposed globular cluster
[12]  of stars, M4 [13] , is visible just to the right of Antares. Near the
image top lies IC 4592, the Blue Horsehead nebula [14] . The blue glow that
surrounds the Blue Horsehead's eye -- and other stars around the image -- is a
reflection nebula composed of fine dust. On the featured image [15]  right is
a geometrically angled reflection nebula cataloged [16]  as Sharpless 1 [17] .
Here, the bright star near the dust vortex creates the light of surrounding
reflection nebula [18] . Although most of these features [19]  are visible
through a small telescope pointed toward the constellations of Ophiuchus [20]
, Scorpius [21] , and Sagittarius [22] , the only way to see the intricate
details of the dust swirls, as featured above, is to use a long exposure [23]
camera.

                 Tomorrow's picture: bright, dark, and warped

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [24] | Archive [25] | Submissions [26] | Index [27] | Search [28] | Calendar
  [29] | RSS [30] | Education [31] | About APOD [32] | Discuss [33] | > [34]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [35] (MTU [36] ) & Jerry Bonnell [37]
                                  (UMCP [38] )
          NASA Official:  Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [39] .
              NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [40]
              A service of: ASD [41]  at NASA [42]  / GSFC [43]
                           & Michigan Tech. U. [44]
----------
Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1905/RhoOphWide_Cogo_1024.jpg
  [3] http://galaxlux.com/Author.htm
  [4] http://galaxlux.com/
  [5] http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/rhooph.ht...
  [6] ap970219.html
  [7] https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
  [8] ap070903.html
  [9] emission_nebulae.html
  [10] ap070321.html
  [11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antares
  [12] globular_clusters.html
  [13] ap000523.html
  [14] ap181105.html
  [15] http://galaxlux.com/The%20Scorpion's%20Head.htm
  [16] ap180702.html
  [17]
http://galaxymap.org/cgi-bin/details.py?id=21...
  [18] reflection_nebulae.html
  [19] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rho_Ophiuchi_clo...
  [20] http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/oph/
  [21] http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellatio...
  [22] http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellatio...
  [23] ap151123.html
  [24] ap190512.html
  [25] archivepix.html
  [26] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [27] lib/aptree.html
  [28] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apo...
  [29] calendar/allyears.html
  [30] /apod.rss
  [31] lib/edlinks.html
  [32] lib/about_apod.html
  [33] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?dat...
  [34] ap190514.html
  [35] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [36] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [37] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnel...
  [38] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [39] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [40] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Priv...
  [41] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [42] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [43] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [44] http://www.mtu.edu/

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 (Windows/32)
 * Origin: FIDONet - The Positronium Repository (1:393/68)