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 December 13
    [2]A starfield is shown filled with colorful gas glowing in different
     colors, and dark dust. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                        Deep Field: The Heart Nebula
        Image Credit & Copyright: [3]William Ostling, Telescope Live

   Explanation: What excites the Heart Nebula? First, the large
   [4]emission nebula on the left, catalogued as [5]IC 1805, looks
   somewhat like a [6]human heart. The nebula glows brightly in red light
   emitted by its [7]most prominent element, [8]hydrogen, but this
   long-exposure image was also blended with light emitted by silicon
   (yellow) and oxygen (blue). In the center of the [9]Heart Nebula are
   young stars from the open star cluster [10]Melotte 15 that are eroding
   away several picturesque [11]dust pillars with their atom-exciting
   [12]energetic light and winds. The [13]Heart Nebula is located about
   7,500 [14]light years away toward the [15]constellation of
   [16]Cassiopeia. At the bottom right of the Heart Nebula is the
   companion [17]Fishhead Nebula. [18]This wide and deep image clearly
   shows, though, that glowing gas surrounds the Heart Nebula in all
   directions.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [30]Robert Nemiroff ([31]MTU) & [32]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([33]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [34]Specific rights apply.
              [35]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [36]ASD at [37]NASA / [38]GSFC,
                         [39]NASA Science Activation
                           & [40]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2312/Heart_TelLiveOstling_2953.jpg
   3. https://theastroenthusiast.com/about-me/
   4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040917.html
   6. https://youtu.be/xWkeidr2T8o?t=26
   7. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d3/5d/63/d35d632b0161e3169f7f4dd3c17c8e36.jpg
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen
   9. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zDeLAFp8p/
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131227.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160424.html
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031022.html
  14. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html
  15. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/en/
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopeia_(constellation)
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap141224.html
  18. https://theastroenthusiast.com/the-heart-nebula-in-sho/
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231212.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  25. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  28. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231213
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231214.html
  30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  32. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  33. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  36. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  39. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  40. http://www.mtu.edu/