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.

                              2023 February 19
      [2]The field of filamentary dust is shown with different sections
     showing different colors. Stars dot the background. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                       Seven Dusty Sisters in Infrared
      Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]WISE, [5]IRSA, Processing & Copyright :
                           [6]Francesco Antonucci

   Explanation: Is this really the famous Pleiades star cluster? Known for
   its [7]iconic blue stars, the [8]Pleiades is shown here in [9]infrared
   light where the surrounding dust outshines the stars. Here three
   infrared colors have been mapped into visual colors (R=24, G=12, B=4.6
   [10]microns). The base images were taken by NASA's orbiting [11]Wide
   Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft. Cataloged as [12]M45
   and nicknamed the [13]Seven Sisters, the [14]Pleiades star cluster is
   by chance situated in a [15]passing dust cloud. The light and [16]winds
   from the massive Pleiades stars preferentially repel smaller [17]dust
   particles, causing the dust to become stratified into [18]filaments, as
   seen. The featured image spans about 20 [19]light years at the distance
   of [20]the Pleiades, which lies about 450 light years distant toward
   the constellation of the Bull ([21]Taurus).

                    Tomorrow's picture: stars and streaks
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [37]Specific rights apply.
              [38]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC,
                         [42]NASA Science Activation
                           & [43]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2302/Pleiades_WiseAntonucci_5000.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/main/index.html
   5. https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/Missions/wise.html
   6. mailto:%20ing.francescoantonucci%20@at@%20alice%20.dot.%20it
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140225.html
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micrometre
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-field_Infrared_Survey_Explorer
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap161019.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades#Origin_of_name
  14. https://arxiv.org/abs/0810.1592
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171114.html
  16. https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/dogs-on-joyrides-16__605.jpg
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120215.html
  19. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
  20. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/M45map.jpg
  21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurus_(constellation)
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230218.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230219
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230220.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  42. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  43. http://www.mtu.edu/