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. 2021 August 6 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Stars and Dust Across Corona Australis Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Vikas Chander Explanation: Cosmic dust clouds cross a rich field of stars in this telescopic vista near the northern boundary of [5]Corona Australis, the Southern Crown. Less than 500 light-years away the dust clouds effectively [6]block light from more distant background stars in the [7]Milky Way. Top to bottom the frame spans about 2 degrees or over 15 light-years at the clouds' estimated distance. [8]At top right is a group of lovely reflection nebulae cataloged as [9]NGC 6726, 6727, 6729, and IC 4812. A characteristic blue color is produced as light from hot stars is [10]reflected by the cosmic dust. The dust also obscures from view stars [11]in the region still in the process of formation. Just above the bluish reflection nebulae a smaller NGC 6729 surrounds [12]young variable star [13]R Coronae Australis. To its right are telltale reddish arcs and loops identified as [14]Herbig Haro objects associated with energetic newborn stars. Magnificent [15]globular star cluster NGC 6723 is at bottom left in the frame. Though NGC 6723 appears [16]to be part of the group, its ancient stars actually lie nearly 30,000 light-years away, far beyond the young stars of the [17]Corona Australis dust clouds. Tomorrow's picture: Stereo Saturday __________________________________________________________________ [18]< | [19]Archive | [20]Submissions | [21]Index | [22]Search | [23]Calendar | [24]RSS | [25]Education | [26]About APOD | [27]Discuss | [28]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [29]Robert Nemiroff ([30]MTU) & [31]Jerry Bonnell ([32]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [33]Specific rights apply. [34]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [35]ASD at [36]NASA / [37]GSFC & [38]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2108/NGC6726_6723_2panel.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. ://www.facebook.com/vikas.chander.58 5. http://www.botproductions.com/stellar/corona_australis.html 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090425.html 7. http://members.nova.org/~sol/chview/chv5.htm 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0407/ngc6726_wide_tanlbl1.jpg 9. https://theskylive.com/sky/deepsky/ngc6726-object 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011228.html 11. http://arxiv.org/abs/1211.6945 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031226.html 13. http://www.solstation.com/stars/r-coraus.htm 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111027.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120614.html 16. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA13064 17. http://www.eso.org/public/videos/eso1109a/ 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210805.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 27. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=210806 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210807.html 29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 32. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 34. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 35. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/ 37. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 38. http://www.mtu.edu/