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 12 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Stardust in Perseus Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Jack Groves Explanation: [5]This cosmic expanse of dust, gas, and stars covers some 6 degrees on the sky in the heroic constellation Perseus. At upper left in [6]the gorgeous skyscape is the intriguing young star cluster [7]IC 348 and neighboring Flying Ghost Nebula with clouds of obscuring interstellar dust cataloged [8]as Barnard 3 and 4. At right, another active star forming [9]region NGC 1333 is connected by dark and dusty tendrils on the outskirts of the giant [10]Perseus Molecular Cloud, about 850 light-years away. Other dusty nebulae are scattered around the field of view, along with the faint reddish glow of [11]hydrogen gas. In fact, the cosmic dust [12]tends to hide the newly formed stars and young stellar objects or protostars from prying optical telescopes. Collapsing due to [13]self-gravity, the [14]protostars form from the dense cores [15]embedded in the molecular cloud. At the molecular cloud's [16]estimated distance, this field of view would span over 90 light-years. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space __________________________________________________________________ [17]< | [18]Archive | [19]Submissions | [20]Index | [21]Search | [22]Calendar | [23]RSS | [24]Education | [25]About APOD | [26]Discuss | [27]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [28]Robert Nemiroff ([29]MTU) & [30]Jerry Bonnell ([31]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [32]Specific rights apply. [33]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC, [37]NASA Science Activation & [38]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2301/ic348-ngc1333.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.instagram.com/astrojackmn/ 5. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1915ApJ....41..253B/abstract 6. https://www.instagram.com/p/CkHMbnipL6a/ 7. http://cdsads.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?2006AJ....132..467W 8. http://www.distant-lights.at/ic348-2017_10_16.htm 9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140306.html 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_molecular_cloud 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050930.html 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap061006.html 13. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/astro/gravc.html 14. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2022/news-2022-055 15. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021A%26A...645A..55P/abstract 16. http://arxiv.org/abs/1403.3393 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230111.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 21. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 26. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230112 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230113.html 28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 31. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 33. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 35. https://www.nasa.gov/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 38. http://www.mtu.edu/