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.

                               2023 January 12
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             Stardust in Perseus
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Jack Groves

   Explanation: [5]This cosmic expanse of dust, gas, and stars covers some
   6 degrees on the sky in the heroic constellation Perseus. At upper left
   in [6]the gorgeous skyscape is the intriguing young star cluster [7]IC
   348 and neighboring Flying Ghost Nebula with clouds of obscuring
   interstellar dust cataloged [8]as Barnard 3 and 4. At right, another
   active star forming [9]region NGC 1333 is connected by dark and dusty
   tendrils on the outskirts of the giant [10]Perseus Molecular Cloud,
   about 850 light-years away. Other dusty nebulae are scattered around
   the field of view, along with the faint reddish glow of [11]hydrogen
   gas. In fact, the cosmic dust [12]tends to hide the newly formed stars
   and young stellar objects or protostars from prying optical telescopes.
   Collapsing due to [13]self-gravity, the [14]protostars form from the
   dense cores [15]embedded in the molecular cloud. At the molecular
   cloud's [16]estimated distance, this field of view would span over 90
   light-years.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
     __________________________________________________________________

      [17]< | [18]Archive | [19]Submissions | [20]Index | [21]Search |
   [22]Calendar | [23]RSS | [24]Education | [25]About APOD | [26]Discuss |
                                    [27]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [28]Robert Nemiroff ([29]MTU) & [30]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([31]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [32]Specific rights apply.
              [33]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC,
                         [37]NASA Science Activation
                           & [38]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2301/ic348-ngc1333.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.instagram.com/astrojackmn/
   5. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1915ApJ....41..253B/abstract
   6. https://www.instagram.com/p/CkHMbnipL6a/
   7. http://cdsads.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?2006AJ....132..467W
   8. http://www.distant-lights.at/ic348-2017_10_16.htm
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140306.html
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_molecular_cloud
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050930.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap061006.html
  13. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/astro/gravc.html
  14. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2022/news-2022-055
  15. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021A%26A...645A..55P/abstract
  16. http://arxiv.org/abs/1403.3393
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230111.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  21. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  26. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230112
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230113.html
  28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  31. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  38. http://www.mtu.edu/