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 May 14
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                               The 37 Cluster
               Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Sergio Eguivar

   Explanation: For the mostly harmless denizens of planet Earth, the
   brighter stars of open cluster [5]NGC 2169 seem to form a cosmic [6]37.
   Did you expect [7]42? From our perspective, the improbable numerical
   [8]asterism appears solely by chance. It lies at an estimated distance
   of 3,300 light-years toward the [9]constellation Orion. As far as
   galactic or open star clusters go, NGC 2169 is a small one, spanning
   about 7 light-years. Formed at the same time from the same cloud of
   dust and gas, [10]the stars of NGC 2169 are only about 11 million years
   old. Such [11]clusters are expected to disperse over time as they
   encounter other stars, interstellar clouds, and experience
   gravitational tides while hitchhiking [12]through [13]the galaxy. Over
   four billion years ago, our own Sun was likely formed in a similar
   [14]open cluster of stars.

           Gallery: [15]Earth Aurora from Solar Active Region 3664
                    Tomorrow's picture: green space arch
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    Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & [29]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([30]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [31]Specific rights apply.
               [32]NASA Web Privacy, [33]Accessibility Notices
                A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC,
                         [37]NASA Science Activation
                           & [38]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2405/NGC2169LRGBQHY183HR.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.instagram.com/buenosaires_skies/
   5. https://webda.physics.muni.cz/cgi-bin/ocl_page.cgi?dirname=ngc2169
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/37_(number)
   7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_Puzzle
   8. http://www.seds.org/Maps/Const/asterism.html
   9. http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/
  11. http://www.seasky.org/cosmic/sky7a06.html
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_cluster#Eventual_fate
  13. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/galaxies/
  14. http://www.seds.org/messier/open.html
  15. https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.431368006258449&type=3
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240513.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  20. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  25. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240514
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240515.html
  27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  30. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  38. http://www.mtu.edu/