                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                                2019 April 26
                                      [2]
                        Southern Cross to Eta Carinae
              Image Credit & Copyright [3] : Carlos Fairbairn [4]

Explanation: Tracking along [5] the southern Milky Way this beautiful
celestial mosaic was recorded under dark Brazilian skies. Spanning some 20
degrees it actually starts with the dark expanse of the Coalsack [6]  nebula
at the lower left, tucked under an arm of the Southern Cross. That compact
constellation is topped by bright yellowish Gamma Crucis [7] , a cool giant
star a mere 88 light-years distant. A line from Gamma Crucis through the blue
star at the bottom of the cross, Alpha Crucis, points toward the South
Celestial Pole. Follow the Milky Way to the right and your gaze will sweep
across IC 2948, popularly known as the Running Chicken [8]  nebula, before it
reaches Eta Carinae [9]  and the Carina Nebula near the right edge of the
frame. About 200 light-years across, the Carina Nebula is a star forming
region much larger than the more northerly stellar nursery the Orion Nebula.
The Carina Nebula lies around 7,500 light-years from Earth along the plane of
the Milky Way [10] .

                      Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
< [11] | Archive [12] | Submissions [13] | Index [14] | Search [15] | Calendar
  [16] | RSS [17] | Education [18] | About APOD [19] | Discuss [20] | > [21]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [22] (MTU [23] ) & Jerry Bonnell [24]
                                  (UMCP [25] )
          NASA Official:  Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [26] .
              NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [27]
              A service of: ASD [28]  at NASA [29]  / GSFC [30]
                           & Michigan Tech. U. [31]
----------
Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1904/FairbairnCROSSTOCARINA1024.jpg
  [3] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [4] https://www.instagram.com/kikofairbairn/
  [5] ap100514.html
  [6] https://oneminuteastronomer.com/2036/coalsack-nebula/
  [7] http://www.solstation.com/stars2/gacrux2.htm
  [8] ap100226.html
  [9] https://www.universetoday.com/141405/
eta-carinae-is-getting-brighter-because-a-dust-cloud-was-blocking-our-view/
  [10] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/285/ the-milky-way-galaxy/
  [11] ap190425.html
  [12] archivepix.html
  [13] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [14] lib/aptree.html
  [15] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  [16] calendar/allyears.html
  [17] /apod.rss
  [18] lib/edlinks.html
  [19] lib/about_apod.html
  [20] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=190426
  [21] ap190427.html
  [22] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [23] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [24] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  [25] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [26] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [27] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  [28] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [29] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [30] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [31] http://www.mtu.edu/
