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.

                               2024 August 31
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                         IFN and the NGC 7771 Group
        Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Steve Mandel and [5]Bob Fera

   Explanation: Galaxies of the NGC 7771 Group are featured in [6]this
   intriguing skyscape. Some 200 million light-years distant toward the
   constellation Pegasus, [7]NGC 7771 is the large, edge-on spiral near
   center, about 75,000 light-years across, with two smaller galaxies
   below it. Large spiral NGC 7769 is seen face-on to the right. Galaxies
   of the NGC 7771 group are interacting, making repeated close passages
   that will ultimately result in galaxy-galaxy mergers on a cosmic
   timescale. The interactions can be traced by [8]distortions in the
   shape of the galaxies themselves and faint [9]streams of stars created
   by their mutual gravitational tides. But a clear view of this galaxy
   group is difficult to come by as the deep image also reveals extensive
   clouds of [10]foreground dust sweeping across the field of view. The
   dim, dusty galactic cirrus clouds are known as Integrated Flux Nebulae.
   The faint IFN reflect starlight from our own Milky Way Galaxy and lie
   only a few hundred light-years above the [11]galactic plane.

                      Tomorrow's picture: moon dressing
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    Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([26]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [27]Specific rights apply.
               [28]NASA Web Privacy, [29]Accessibility Notices
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC,
                         [33]NASA Science Activation
                           & [34]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2408/NGC7769_70_71_Mandel.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.astrobin.com/users/smandel/
   5. http://www.feraphotography.com/index.html
   6. https://www.astrobin.com/wt7ct9/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090829.html
   8. https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2002/news-2002-22.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080619.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170627.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090613.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240830.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  21. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240831
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240901.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  34. http://www.mtu.edu/