﻿ 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 June 14 [2]A dark brown cloud that appears similar to a shark is seen against a background filled with stars and less prominent blue-shaded nebulas. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. The Shark Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Stephen Kennedy Explanation: There is no sea on Earth large enough to contain the Shark nebula. This [4]predator apparition poses us no danger as it is composed only of interstellar gas and [5]dust. Dark dust like that [6]featured here is somewhat like cigarette smoke and [7]created in the cool atmospheres of giant [8]stars. After being expelled with gas and [9]gravitationally recondensing, massive stars may [10]carve intricate structures into their birth cloud using their high energy light and fast [11]stellar winds as sculpting tools. The heat they generate evaporates the murky [12]molecular cloud as well as causing ambient hydrogen gas to disperse and glow red. During disintegration, we humans can enjoy [13]imagining these [14]great clouds as [15]common icons, like we do for [16]water clouds on Earth. Including [17]smaller dust nebulae such as Lynds Dark Nebula 1235 and Van den Bergh 149 & 150, the [18]Shark nebula spans about 15 light years and lies about 650 [19]light years away toward the constellation of the King of Aethiopia ([20]Cepheus). Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [21]< | [22]Archive | [23]Submissions | [24]Index | [25]Search | [26]Calendar | [27]RSS | [28]Education | [29]About APOD | [30]Discuss | [31]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell ([35]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [36]Specific rights apply. [37]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [38]ASD at [39]NASA / [40]GSFC, [41]NASA Science Activation & [42]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2306/Shark_Kennedy_4176.jpg 3. https://www.instagram.com/occupyspacecreations/ 4. https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/endoceansharks/ 5. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html 6. https://www.instagram.com/p/CskcSjVsGKH/ 7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_dust#Dust_grain_formation 8. https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve 9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbdwTwB8jtc 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221020.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000318.html 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230129.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120124.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap141008.html 15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia 16. https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/ 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1509/shark_toet_1000_anno.jpg 18. https://www.galactic-hunter.com/post/the-shark-nebula 19. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/ 20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cepheus_(constellation) 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230613.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 30. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230614 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230615.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 38. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/ 40. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 41. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 42. http://www.mtu.edu/