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Credit & Copyright: Steve Mandel,
Galaxy Images
Explanation:
The combined light of the
stars
of the Milky Way are
reflected by this cosmic dust cloud that soars
some 300 light-years above the plane of our Galaxy.
Dubbed the
Angel
Nebula by astronomer Steve Mandel's 13 year old
son, the dusty apparition is part of an expansive complex
of dim and relatively unexplored diffuse nebulae,
traced over
large regions seen toward the North and South
Galactic poles.
Along with the blue tint characteristic of more commonly
observed
reflection nebulae,
the Angel Nebula and other dusty
galactic cirrus
also produce a faint reddish luminescence, as
dust grains convert
the Milky Way's
invisible
ultraviolet radiation to visible red light.
Spanning 3x4 degrees on the sky in the constellation Ursa Major,
this wide-angle, high-resolution image was recorded as part of the
Unexplored
Nebula Project.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: dust - nebula - reflection nebula
Publications with words: dust - nebula - reflection nebula
See also:
- APOD: 2024 January 29 Á The Pleiades: Seven Dusty Sisters
- APOD: 2024 January 23 Á Deep Nebulas: From Seagull to California
- The Light, the Dark, and the Dusty
- APOD: 2023 October 30 Á Reflections of the Ghost Nebula
- The Ghosts of Gamma Cas
- APOD: 2023 September 26 Á IC 4592: The Blue Horsehead Reflection Nebula
- NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula