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.

                               2022 January 20
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             NGC 7822 in Cepheus
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Mark Carter

   Explanation: Hot, young stars and [5]cosmic pillars of gas and dust
   seem to crowd into NGC 7822. At the edge of a giant molecular cloud
   toward the northern constellation Cepheus, the glowing star forming
   region lies about 3,000 light-years away. Within the nebula, bright
   edges and dark shapes stand out in this colorful [6]telescopic
   skyscape. The image includes data from [7]narrowband filters, mapping
   emission from atomic oxygen, hydrogen, and sulfur into blue, green, and
   red hues. The emission line and color combination has become well-known
   as the [8]Hubble palette. The atomic emission is [9]powered by
   energetic radiation from the central hot stars. Their powerful winds
   and radiation sculpt and erode the denser pillar shapes and clear out a
   [10]characteristic cavity light-years across the center of the natal
   cloud. Stars could still be forming inside the pillars by
   [11]gravitational collapse but as the pillars are eroded away, any
   forming stars will ultimately be cutoff from their reservoir of
   [12]star stuff. This field of view spans about 40 light-years at the
   estimated distance of NGC 7822.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
     __________________________________________________________________

      [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search |
   [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss |
                                    [23]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply.
              [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2201/IMG_9447.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.instagram.com/midwest_astro/
   5. http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1518/
   6. https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4FNczLdOy/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060324.html
   8. https://hubblesite.org/contents/articles/the-meaning-of-light-and-color
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap051223.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150225.html
  11. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/astro/gravc.html#c1
  12. https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2015/news-2015-01.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220119.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=220120
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220121.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://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/