apod:

2023 June 5

In the Center of the Trifid Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Martin Pugh

Explanation: What’s happening at the center of the Trifid Nebula? Three prominent dust lanes that give the Trifid its name all come together. Mountains of opaque dust appear near the bottom, while other dark filaments of dust are visible threaded throughout the nebula. A single massive star visible near the center causes much of the Trifid’s glow. The Trifid, cataloged as M20, is only about 300,000 years old, making it among the youngest emission nebulas known. The star forming nebula lies about 9,000 light years away toward the constellation of the Archer (Sagittarius). The region pictured here spans about 20 light years.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230605.html

the-wolf-and-moon:

Sagittarius Nebulae

photos-of-space:

The needle galaxy is nearly 50 million light-years away. Reddit user chucksastro used 11 hours of exposure time to capture this image from his backyard.

apod:

2023 May 25

Cat’s Eye Wide and Deep
Image Credit & Copyright: Jean-François Bax, Guillaume Gruntz

Explanation: The Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) is one of the best known planetary nebulae in the sky. Its more familiar outlines are seen in the brighter central region of the nebula in this impressive wide-angle view. But this wide and deep image combining data from two telescopes also reveals its extremely faint outer halo. At an estimated distance of 3,000 light-years, the faint outer halo is over 5 light-years across. Planetary nebulae have long been appreciated as a final phase in the life of a sun-like star. More recently, some planetary nebulae are found to have halos like this one, likely formed of material shrugged off during earlier episodes in the star’s evolution. While the planetary nebula phase is thought to last for around 10,000 years, astronomers estimate the age of the outer filamentary portions of this halo to be 50,000 to 90,000 years. Visible on the right, some 50 million light-years beyond the watchful planetary nebula, lies spiral galaxy NGC 6552.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230525.html

quiltofstars:

The Iris Nebula, NGC 7023 // Chris Parfett

apod:

2023 May 16

Total Eclipse: The Big Corona
Image Credit & Copyright: Reinhold Wittich

Explanation: Most photographs don’t adequately portray the magnificence of the Sun’s corona. Seeing the corona first-hand during a total solar eclipse is unparalleled. The human eye can adapt to see coronal features and extent that average cameras usually cannot. Welcome, however, to the digital age. The featured image digitally combined short and long exposures taken in Exmouth, Australia that were processed to highlight faint and extended features in the corona during the total solar eclipse that occurred in April of 2023. Clearly visible are intricate layers and glowing caustics of an ever changing mixture of hot gas and magnetic fields in the Sun’s corona. Looping prominences appear bright pink just past the Sun’s edge. Images taken seconds before and after the total eclipse show glimpses of the background Sun known as Baily’s Beads and diamond ring effect. The next total solar eclipse will cross North America in April of 2024.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230516.html

jessgaspar:

starlit trail