                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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.

                                 2022 June 9

                           Cosmic Clouds in Cygnus
                Image Credit & Copyright: Wolfgang Zimmermann

   Explanation: These cosmic clouds of gas and dust drift through rich
   star fields along the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy toward the high
   flying constellation Cygnus. They're too faint to be seen with the
   unaided eye though, even on a clear, dark night. Image data from a
   camera and telephoto lens using narrowband filters was used to
   construct this 10 degree wide field of view. The deep mosaic reveals a
   region that includes star forming dust clouds seen in silhouette
   against the characteristic glow of atomic hydrogen and oxygen gas. NGC
   6888 is the standout emission nebula near the top. Blown by winds from
   an massive Wolf-Rayet star it's about 25 light-years across and known
   as the Crescent Nebula. A faint bluish curl just below center in the
   frame is also the signature of a Wolf-Rayet star. Burning fuel at a
   prodigious rate and near the end of their stellar lives, both stars
   will ultimately go out with a bang in a spectacular supernova
   explosion. Toward the right, a massive, young O type star powers the
   glow of Sh2-101, the Tulip Nebula.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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