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 April 24
     [2]A nearly spherical but stringy nebula is shown against a starry
       background. The nebula is colored blue and red. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                    The Medulla Nebula Supernova Remnant
                Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Kimberly Sibbald

   Explanation: What powers this unusual nebula? CTB-1 is the expanding
   gas shell that was left when a massive star toward the constellation of
   [4]Cassiopeia exploded about 10,000 years ago. The star likely
   detonated when it ran out of elements near its core that could create
   [5]stabilizing pressure with [6]nuclear fusion. The resulting
   [7]supernova remnant, nicknamed the Medulla Nebula for its
   [8]brain-like shape, still glows in [9]visible light by the heat
   generated by its collision with confining [10]interstellar gas. Why
   [11]the nebula also glows in [12]X-ray light, though, [13]remains a
   mystery. One hypothesis holds that an energetic [14]pulsar was
   co-created that powers the nebula with a fast outwardly moving wind.
   Following this lead, a pulsar has [15]recently been found in [16]radio
   waves that appears to have [17]been expelled by the [18]supernova
   explosion at over 1000 kilometers per second. Although the [19]Medulla
   Nebula appears as large as a [20]full moon, it is so faint that it took
   many hours of exposure with a telescope in [21]Seven Persons,
   [22]Alberta, [23]Canada to create the [24]featured image.

                     Tomorrow's picture: lunar triomuphe
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [36]Robert Nemiroff ([37]MTU) & [38]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([39]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [40]Specific rights apply.
              [41]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC,
                         [45]NASA Science Activation
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2304/CTB1_Sibbald_6209.jpg
   3. https://spacepaparazzi.com/aboutkms/
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopeia_(constellation)
   5. http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2011/ph241/olson1/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion
   7. https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/supernova_remnants.html
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medulla_oblongata
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/09_visiblelight
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130924.html
  11. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018PASJ...70..110K/abstract
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/11_xrays
  13. https://www.barkbusters.co.uk/images/articles/7a4120f095480e9f2a2ad2a165d90313.jpg
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulsar
  15. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019sros.confE.158K/abstract
  16. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/05_radiowaves
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221002.html
  18. https://youtu.be/aysiMbgml5g
  19. https://www.gxccd.com/art?id=543&cat=1&lang=409
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220612.html
  21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Persons
  22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta
  23. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada
  24. https://www.astrobin.com/t54gkx/B/
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230423.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  34. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230424
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230425.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  38. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  39. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/