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. 2024 August 28 [2]A picture of a starfield with red emission nebulae is shown. Toward the right is a point of light that is Cygnus X-1, a nearby black hole. Above the black hole is a blue-shaded bow shock wave in the surrounding gas. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Tulip Nebula and Black Hole Cygnus X-1 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Anirudh Shastry Explanation: When can you see a black hole, a tulip, and a swan all at once? At night -- if the timing is right, and if your telescope is pointed in the [4]right direction. The complex and beautiful [5]Tulip Nebula blossoms about 8,000 [6]light-years away toward the [7]constellation of Cygnus the Swan. [8]Ultraviolet radiation from young energetic stars at the edge of the Cygnus [9]OB3 association, including [10]O star HDE 227018, ionizes the atoms and powers the emission from the Tulip Nebula. [11]Stewart Sharpless cataloged this nearly 70 light-years across reddish glowing cloud of interstellar gas and dust in [12]1959, as [13]Sh2-101. Also in the [14]featured field of view is the black hole [15]Cygnus X-1, which to be a [16]microquasar because it is one of strongest [17]X-ray sources in planet Earth's sky. Blasted by powerful jets from a [18]lurking black hole, its fainter bluish curved [19]shock front is only faintly visible [20]beyond the cosmic Tulip's petals, near the right side of the frame. Back to School? [21]Learn Science with NASA Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [22]< | [23]Archive | [24]Submissions | [25]Index | [26]Search | [27]Calendar | [28]RSS | [29]Education | [30]About APOD | [31]Discuss | [32]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell ([36]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply. [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices; A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC, [44]NASA Science Activation & [45]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2408/Tulip_Shastry_6144.jpg 3. https://www.astrobin.com/users/ashastry/ 4. https://skywiseunlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/scoper_05.jpg 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh_2-101 6. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/ 7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_(constellation) 8. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves/ 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_kinematics#OB_associations 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070726.html 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_Sharpless 12. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1959ApJS....4..257S/abstract 13. http://galaxymap.org/cat/list/sharpless/101 14. https://www.astrobin.com/3y9228/ 15. http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2011/cygx1/ 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microquasar 17. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/11_xrays/ 18. https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/resources/2259/devoured-by-gravity-poster/?galaxy_horror 19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_wave 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090608.html 21. https://science.nasa.gov/learners/back-to-school 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240827.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 28. https://apod.com/feed.rss 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240828 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240829.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/ 43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 45. http://www.mtu.edu/