                        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.

                                 2024 June 3

                         NGC 2403 in Camelopardalis
    Image Credit & Copyright: (Team F.A.C.T.) Lilian Lbt - Cyrille Malo -
      Maxime Martin - Clément Daniel - Paul Grasset - Louis Leroux-Géré

   Explanation: Magnificent island universe NGC 2403 stands within the
   boundaries of the long-necked constellation Camelopardalis. Some 10
   million light-years distant and about 50,000 light-years across, the
   spiral galaxy also seems to have more than its fair share of giant star
   forming HII regions, marked by the telltale reddish glow of atomic
   hydrogen gas. The giant HII regions are energized by clusters of hot,
   massive stars that explode as bright supernovae at the end of their
   short and furious lives. A member of the M81 group of galaxies, NGC
   2403 closely resembles a galaxy in our own local galaxy group with an
   abundance of star forming regions, M33, the Triangulum Galaxy. Spiky in
   appearance, bright stars in this portrait of NGC 2403 are in the
   foreground, within our own Milky Way. Also in the foreground of the
   deep, wide-field, telescopic image are the Milky Way's dim and dusty
   interstellar clouds also known as galactic cirrus or integrated flux
   nebulae. But faint features that seem to extend from NGC 2403 itself
   are likely tidal stellar streams drawn out by gravitational
   interactions with neighboring galaxies.

                       Tomorrow's picture: tail tales
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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