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 February 4
    [2]A starfield is shown that has only a few bright stars. Vertically
   through the center is a large reddish brown nebula that has a few stars
     embedded. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                         The Cone Nebula from Hubble
   Image Credit: [3]Hubble Legacy Archive, [4]NASA, [5]ESA - Processing &
                         [6]Licence: [7]Judy Schmidt

   Explanation: Stars are forming in the gigantic dust pillar called the
   Cone Nebula. Cones, [8]pillars, and majestic [9]flowing shapes abound
   in [10]stellar nurseries where natal clouds of gas and dust are
   buffeted by energetic winds from newborn stars. The [11]Cone Nebula, a
   well-known example, lies within the bright galactic star-forming region
   [12]NGC 2264. The [13]Cone was captured in unprecedented detail in
   [14]this close-up composite of several observations from the
   Earth-orbiting [15]Hubble Space Telescope. While the [16]Cone Nebula,
   about 2,500 [17]light-years away in [18]Monoceros, is around 7
   light-years long, [19]the region pictured here surrounding the cone's
   blunted head is a mere 2.5 light-years across. In [20]our neck of the
   galaxy that distance is just over half way from our Sun to its
   [21]nearest stellar neighbors in the [22]Alpha Centauri star system.
   The massive star [23]NGC 2264 IRS, seen by Hubble's infrared camera in
   1997, is the likely source of the [24]wind sculpting the Cone Nebula
   and lies off the top of the image. The [25]Cone Nebula's reddish veil
   is produced by dust and glowing hydrogen gas.

                   Tomorrow's picture: carina's crazy core
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    Authors & editors: [37]Robert Nemiroff ([38]MTU) & [39]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([40]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn; [41]Specific rights apply.
              [42]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC,
                         [46]NASA Science Activation
                           & [47]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2402/cone_hubbleschmidt_4048.jpg
   3. https://hla.stsci.edu/
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/
   5. https://www.esa.int/
   6. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
   7. https://geckzilla.com/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011125.html
   9. http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/virtcave/staltite/staltite.html
  10. https://esahubble.org/science/formation_of_stars/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230110.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201226.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cone_nebula
  14. https://www.flickr.com/photos/geckzilla/13313909663/
  15. https://esahubble.org/about/
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190416.html
  17. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoceros
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0205/cone_hst_label.jpg
  20. http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/galaxy.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160825.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120628.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap970611.html
  24. https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/05/92/36/97/360_F_592369798_B4z51rOFjAw2rzf0CuZmcv8Pic6OpiB9.jpg
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070509.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240203.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  32. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  35. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240204
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240205.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  39. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  40. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  41. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  47. http://www.mtu.edu/