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

                           Star Factory Messier 17
   Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Kim Quick, [5]Terry Hancock, and [6]Tom
                    Masterson ([7]Grand Mesa Observatory)

   Explanation: [8]Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, the star
   factory known as [9]Messier 17 lies some 5,500 light-years away in the
   nebula-rich constellation [10]Sagittarius. At that distance, this 1/3
   degree wide field of view spans over 30 light-years. [11]The sharp
   composite, color image highlights faint details of the region's gas and
   dust clouds against a backdrop of central [12]Milky Way stars. Stellar
   winds and energetic light from hot, massive stars formed from M17's
   stock of cosmic gas and dust have slowly carved away at the remaining
   interstellar material, producing the cavernous appearance and
   [13]undulating shapes. [14]M17 is also known as the Omega Nebula or the
   Swan Nebula.

                   Tomorrow's picture: large galaxy cloud
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [26]Robert Nemiroff ([27]MTU) & [28]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([29]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [30]Specific rights apply.
              [31]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [32]ASD at [33]NASA / [34]GSFC,
                         [35]NASA Science Activation
                           & [36]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2309/OmegaNebulaGrandMesaObservatory2023.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. mailto: kimquick79 [at] gmail [dot] com
   5. https://www.downunderobservatory.com/
   6. https://www.transientastronomer.com/
   7. https://www.grandmesaobservatory.com/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030821.html
   9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_17
  10. http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/sgr/index.html
  11. https://www.flickr.com/photos/transientastro/53148661858/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130531.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040828.html
  14. http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1972-ssc2008-21a1-M17-Celestial-Sea-of-Stars
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230907.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  19. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  24. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230908
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230909.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  29. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  32. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  35. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  36. http://www.mtu.edu/