APOD: 2026 July 1 Б The Cotton Candy Clouds of Rho Ophiuchi
Explanation:
Although they look like cotton candy, you cannot eat these clouds! Taken in
Cádiz, Spain,
today's image
features
the Rho Ophiuchi complex,
a rich tapestry of young and old astronomical phenomena. This colorful cloud complex
is a
nearby star-forming region containing hundreds of
young stellar objects,
including
protostars and
T Tauri stars.
Light from
the triple
star system
at its center
reflects
off of small dust grains to create the blue
reflection
nebula.
Ultraviolet
light from hot stars
ionizes
the surrounding hydrogen gas, creating the red
emission nebula.
Antares,
a red supergiant
big enough to engulf the Solar SystemБs
asteroid
belt,
lights up the yellow region. Dark
interstellar
dust
blocks some of the complexБs color. Recent
JWST observations
exhibit shadows cast by hidden
circumstellar disks,
the beginning stages of planet formation.
Messier
4,
a globular cluster almost as old as the universe, sits in the bottom right and witnesses
yet
another chaotic burst of youth in the Milky Way.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
