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 27
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                      Protostellar Outflows in Serpens
     Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]CSA, [6]STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan
                       (NASA-JPL), Joel Green (STScI)

   Explanation: [7]Jets of material blasting from newborn stars, are
   captured in this James Webb Space Telescope close-up of the Serpens
   Nebula. The powerful protostellar outflows are bipolar, [8]twin jets
   spewing in opposite directions. Their directions are perpendicular to
   accretion disks formed around the [9]spinning, collapsing [10]stellar
   infants. In the NIRcam image, the reddish color represents emission
   from molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced as the jets
   collide with the surrounding gas and dust. [11]The sharp image shows
   for the first time that individual outflows detected in the Serpens
   Nebula are generally aligned along the same direction. That result was
   expected, but has only now come into clear view with Webb's
   [12]detailed exploration of the active young star-forming region.
   Brighter foreground stars exhibit Webb's characteristic [13]diffraction
   spikes. At the Serpens Nebula's estimated distance of 1,300
   light-years, this cosmic close-up frame is about 1 light-year across.

                      Tomorrow's picture: Olber's comet
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [25]Robert Nemiroff ([26]MTU) & [27]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([28]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [29]Specific rights apply.
               [30]NASA Web Privacy, [31]Accessibility Notices
                A service of: [32]ASD at [33]NASA / [34]GSFC,
                         [35]NASA Science Activation
                           & [36]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2406/STScI-SerpNorth.png
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/
   6. https://www.stsci.edu/
   7. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2024/news-2024-115
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230919.html
   9. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/articles/how-are-stars-born
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221118.html
  11. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2024/115/01HYGK23NHR452S6E8Q1T4FDE5
  12. https://arxiv.org/html/2406.13084v1
  13. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/01G529MX46J7AFK61GAMSHKSSN
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240626.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  18. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  23. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240627
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240628.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  28. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  32. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  35. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  36. http://www.mtu.edu/