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 June 19
    [2]Gas and dust are shown in a deep starfield. The gas glows blue and
   red, while the dark dust is connected in filaments across the image. To
    some, the filaments appear to have the shape of two dragons fighting.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                          NGC 6188: Dragons of Ara
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Carlos Taylor

   Explanation: Do dragons fight on the altar of the sky? Although it
   might appear that way, these dragons are [4]illusions made of thin gas
   and dust. The [5]emission nebula NGC 6188, home to the glowing clouds,
   is found about 4,000 [6]light years away near the edge of a large
   molecular cloud, unseen at visible wavelengths, in the southern
   [7]constellation Ara (the Altar). Massive, young [8]stars of the
   embedded Ara [9]OB1 association were formed in that region only a few
   million years ago, [10]sculpting the dark shapes and powering the
   nebular glow with stellar winds and intense [11]ultraviolet radiation.
   The recent [12]star formation itself was likely triggered by winds and
   supernova explosions from previous generations of massive [13]stars,
   that swept up and compressed the molecular gas. This [14]impressively
   detailed [15]image spans over 2 degrees (four full Moons),
   corresponding to over 150 light years at the estimated distance [16]of
   NGC 6188.

                      Tomorrow's picture: open solstice
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    Authors & editors: [28]Robert Nemiroff ([29]MTU) & [30]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([31]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [32]Specific rights apply.
            [33]NASA Web Privacy, [34]Accessibility, [35]Notices;
                A service of: [36]ASD at [37]NASA / [38]GSFC,
                         [39]NASA Science Activation
                           & [40]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2406/AraDragons_Taylor_4728.jpg
   3. https://www.astrobin.com/users/CAPastrophotography/
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emission_nebula
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/what-is-a-light-year/
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ara_(constellation)
   8. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011A&A...531A..73B/abstract
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_association#Stellar_associations
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080313.html
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/
  13. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/search/stars/
  14. https://cdn.petcarerx.com/blog/wp-content-uploads-2015-07-surprise-dog.jpg
  15. https://www.astrobin.com/ofcovc/C/
  16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn9mZpAcbF8
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240618.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.com/feed.rss
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  26. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240619
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240620.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://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  36. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  39. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  40. http://www.mtu.edu/