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.

                               2020 February 8
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                        Cosmic Clouds in the Unicorn
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Bray Falls

   Explanation: Interstellar clouds of hydrogen gas and dust abound in
   [5]this gorgeous skyscape. The 3 degree wide field of view stretches
   through the faint but fanciful constellation [6]Monoceros, the Unicorn.
   A star forming region [7]cataloged as NGC 2264 is centered, a complex
   jumble of cosmic gas, dust and stars about 2,700 light-years distant.
   It mixes reddish [8]emission nebulae excited by energetic light from
   newborn stars [9]with dark dust clouds. Where the otherwise obscuring
   dust clouds lie close to hot, young stars they also reflect starlight,
   forming blue [10]reflection nebulae. A few light-years across, a simple
   sculpted shape known as the [11]Cone Nebula is near center. Outlined by
   the red glow of hydrogen gas, the cone points toward the left and
   bright, blue-white [12]S Monocerotis. Itself a multiple system of
   massive, hot stars S Mon is adjacent to bluish reflection nebulae and
   the convoluted [13]Fox Fur nebula. Expansive [14]dark markings on the
   sky are silhouetted by a larger region of fainter emission with
   yellowish open star cluster Trumpler 5 near the top of the frame. The
   curious compact cometary shape right of center is known as [15]Hubble's
   Variable Nebula.

                     Tomorrow's picture: closer to home
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    Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & [29]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([30]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [31]Specific rights apply.
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                A service of: [33]ASD at [34]NASA / [35]GSFC
                           & [36]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2002/ConeNebula_astrofalls.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.instagram.com/astrofalls/
   5. https://www.instagram.com/p/B8CNplFHaIC/
   6. http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/mon/index.html
   7. http://messier.seds.org/xtra/ngc/n2264.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap051223.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190202.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap181231.html
  11. https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2002/11/1189-Image.html
  12. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/15mon.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190207.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090425.html
  15. http://heritage.stsci.edu/1999/36/index.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200207.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=200208
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200209.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://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  36. http://www.mtu.edu/