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 July 25
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                          NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula
               Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Robert Shepherd

   Explanation: These cosmic clouds have blossomed 1,300 light-years away
   in the fertile starfields of the [5]constellation Cepheus. Called the
   Iris Nebula, [6]NGC 7023 is not the only nebula to evoke the imagery
   [7]of flowers. Still, this [8]deep telescopic image shows off the Iris
   Nebula's range of colors and symmetries embedded in surrounding fields
   of interstellar dust. Within the Iris itself, dusty nebular material
   surrounds a hot, young star. The dominant color of the brighter
   reflection nebula is blue, characteristic of dust grains reflecting
   starlight. [9]Central filaments of the reflection nebula glow with a
   faint reddish photoluminescence as some dust grains [10]effectively
   convert the star's invisible ultraviolet radiation to visible red
   light. Infrared [11]observations indicate that this nebula contains
   complex carbon molecules known as [12]PAHs. The dusty blue petals of
   the Iris Nebula span about six light-years.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply.
               [29]NASA Web Privacy, [30]Accessibility Notices
                A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC,
                         [34]NASA Science Activation
                           & [35]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2407/NGC7023_LRGB_fin_sig.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.astrobin.com/users/RobsAstro/
   5. http://hawastsoc.org/deepsky/cep/index.html
   6. http://www.universetoday.com/17597/ngc-7023-iris-from-the-dust-by-kent-wood/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080214.html
   8. https://www.astrobin.com/0ee94l/
   9. http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic0915/
  10. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1989ApJ...347L..25W&db_key=AST&high=3bc4bede8e21358
  11. http://cdsads.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?2000A&A...354L..17M&db_key=AST&nosetcookie=1
  12. https://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/news/feature07-03-spitzer-learns-about-carbons-cosmic-life
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240724.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240725
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240726.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  34. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  35. http://www.mtu.edu/