¿ 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 October 28 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. NGC 6357: The Lobster Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Steven Mohr Explanation: Why is the Lobster Nebula forming some of the most massive stars known? [4]No one is yet sure. Cataloged as NGC 6357, the Lobster Nebula houses the open star cluster [5]Pismis 24 near its center -- a home to unusually bright and [6]massive stars. The overall [7]blue glow near the inner star forming region results from the [8]emission of [9]ionized [10]hydrogen gas. The surrounding nebula, [11]featured here, holds a complex tapestry of gas, [12]dark dust, stars still forming, and newly born [13]stars. The intricate patterns are caused by complex interactions between [14]interstellar winds, [15]radiation pressures, [16]magnetic fields, and [17]gravity. NGC 6357 spans about 400 light years and lies about 8,000 [18]light years away toward the constellation of the [19]Scorpion. Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [20]< | [21]Archive | [22]Submissions | [23]Index | [24]Search | [25]Calendar | [26]RSS | [27]Education | [28]About APOD | [29]Discuss | [30]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell ([34]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [35]Specific rights apply. [36]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC & [40]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2010/Lobster_Mohr_2048.jpg 3. https://www.flickr.com/photos/105968790@N03/ 4. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015A%26A...573A..95M/abstract 5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160327.html 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180612.html 7. http://bf-astro.com/hubblep.htm 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html 9. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Chemical/ionize.html 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen 11. https://www.flickr.com/photos/105968790@N03/50426826632/in/pool-apods/ 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171008.html 13. https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve 14. https://asd.gsfc.nasa.gov/blueshift/index.php/2009/11/17/dust-in-the-interstellar-wind/ 15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_pressure 16. http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/whmfield.html 17. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/what-is-gravity/en/ 18. http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html 19. https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellations/scorpius.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201027.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 29. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=201028 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201029.html 31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 38. https://www.nasa.gov/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 40. http://www.mtu.edu/