                        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 November 27
    A light brown nebula is seen on a dark starfield. The outline of the
        nebula makes it appear like an eagle ray fish. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                        LBN 86: The Eagle Ray Nebula
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Vikas Chander

   Explanation: This eagle ray glides across a cosmic sea. Officially
   cataloged as SH2-63 and LBN 86, the dark nebula is composed of gas and
   dust that just happens to appear shaped like a common ocean fish. The
   interstellar dust nebula appears light brown as it blocks and reddens
   visible light emitted behind it. Dark nebulas glow primarily in
   infrared light, but also reflect visible light from surrounding stars.
   The dust in dark nebulas is usually sub-millimeter chunks of carbon,
   silicon, and oxygen, frequently coated with frozen carbon monoxide and
   nitrogen. Dark nebulas are also known as molecular clouds because they
   also contain relatively high amounts of molecular hydrogen and larger
   molecules. Previously unnamed, the here dubbed Eagle Ray Nebula is
   normally quite dim but has been imaged clearly over 20-hours through
   dark skies in Chile.

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