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. 2023 January 4 [2]The featured image shows a distant galaxy on the left next to a gas cloud on the right. An opening in the gas cloud is on the same side as the galaxy. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. CG4: The Globule and the Galaxy Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Mike Selby & [5]Mark Hanson Explanation: Can a gas cloud eat a galaxy? It's not even close. The "claw" of this odd looking "creature" in the [6]featured photo is a gas cloud known as a [7]cometary globule. This globule, however, [8]has ruptured. Cometary [9]globules are typically characterized by [10]dusty heads and elongated [11]tails. These features cause cometary [12]globules to have visual similarities to [13]comets, but in reality they are very much different. [14]Globules are frequently the birthplaces of stars, and many show very young [15]stars in their heads. The reason for the rupture in the head of this object is not yet known. The [16]galaxy to the left of the globule is huge, very far in the distance, and only placed near [17]CG4 by [18]chance superposition. Discovery + Outreach: [19]Graduate student research position open for APOD Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [20]< | [21]Archive | [22]Submissions | [23]Index | [24]Search | [25]Calendar | [26]RSS | [27]Education | [28]About APOD | [29]Discuss | [30]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell ([34]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [35]Specific rights apply. [36]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC, [40]NASA Science Activation & [41]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2301/cg4_selby_5430.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.facebook.com/masterdarksastro/ 5. https://www.hansonastronomy.com/ 6. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=512470817529735 7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cometary_globule 8. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1995A%26A...293..493G/abstract 9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap020325.html 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html#dust 11. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1996ApJ...463L.105M/abstract 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140414.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170409.html 14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_nebula 15. https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve 16. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy 17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CG_4 18. https://blogmais.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/imagem_ht_07-04-23.jpg 19. http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?t=42847 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230103.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 29. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230104 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230105.html 31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 38. https://www.nasa.gov/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 40. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 41. http://www.mtu.edu/