                        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.

                               2023 August 22
    A diffuse nebula is seen against a dark starfield. The center of the
      nebula is blue and it is surrounded by a red glow. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                            The Pistachio Nebula
           Credit & Copyright: Bray Falls & Chester Hall-Fernandez

   Explanation: This nebula had never been noted before. Newly discovered
   nebulas are usually angularly small and found by professionals using
   large telescopes. In contrast, the Pistachio Nebula was discovered by
   dedicated amateurs and, although faint, is nearly the size of the full
   Moon. In modern times, amateurs with even small telescopes can create
   long exposures over sky areas much larger than most professional
   telescopes can see. They can therefore discover both previously unknown
   areas of extended emission around known objects, as well as entirely
   unknown objects, like nebulas. The pictured Pistachio Nebula is shown
   in oxygen emission (blue) and hydrogen emission (red). The nature of
   the hot central star is currently unknown, and the nebula might be
   labeled a planetary nebula if it turns out to be a white dwarf star.
   The featured image is a composite of over 70 hours of exposure taken in
   early June under the dark skies of Namibia.

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