Astronomy Picture of the Day

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

                               2022 October 31
   [2]The featured image shows a dark brown molecular cloud in front of a
      distant star field. The cloud has the appearance of a flying bat.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                        LDN 43: The Cosmic Bat Nebula
      Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Mark Hanson and [4]Mike Selby; Text:
                   [5]Michelle Thaller ([6]NASA's [7]GSFC)

   Explanation: What is the most spook-tacular nebula in the galaxy? One
   contender is LDN 43, which bears an astonishing resemblance to a vast
   cosmic [8]bat [9]flying amongst the stars on a dark [10]Halloween
   night. Located about 1400 [11]light years away in the constellation
   [12]Ophiuchus, this [13]molecular cloud is dense enough to [14]block
   light not only from background stars, but from wisps of gas lit up by
   the nearby [15]reflection nebula [16]LBN 7. Far from being a harbinger
   of death, this 12-light year-long filament of gas and [17]dust is
   actually a [18]stellar nursery. Glowing with [19]eerie light, the bat
   is lit up from inside by [20]dense gaseous knots that have just formed
   [21]young stars.

                  Celebrate: [22]Halloween With NASA Online
                      Tomorrow's picture: massive stars
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    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [38]Specific rights apply.
              [39]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC,
                         [43]NASA Science Activation
                           & [44]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2210/LDN43_SelbyHanson_3993.jpg
   3. https://www.hansonastronomy.com/bio
   4. http://throughlightandtime.com/about/
   5. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/people/1040/michelle-thaller/
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat#/media/File:Big-eared-townsend-fledermaus.jpg
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211024.html
  11. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
  12. https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellations/ophiuchus.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_cloud
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201122.html
  15. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/r/Reflection+Nebula
  16. http://www.jthommes.com/Astro/LBN7_LDN43.htm
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html
  18. https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve
  19. https://i.pinimg.com/550x/81/21/c0/8121c0291fa14d1fe52b9eb007741cac.jpg
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080413.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220512.html
  22. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/events/2022/9/8/celebrate-halloween-with-nasa-online/
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221030.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=221031
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221101.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  44. http://www.mtu.edu/