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.

                                2026 March 17
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                           The Tadpoles of IC 410
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Nico Carver

   Explanation: [5]This telescopic close-up shows off the central regions
   of otherwise faint emission nebula IC 410, captured under backyard
   skies. [6]Presented in a Hubble color palette, the image combines
   visible broadband and narrowband data with data from the near-infrared.
   Below and right of center are two remarkable inhabitants of the
   interstellar pond of gas and dust. the Tadpoles of IC 410. Partly
   obscured by foreground dust, the nebula itself surrounds [7]NGC 1893, a
   young galactic cluster of stars. Formed in the interstellar cloud a
   mere 4 million years ago, the [8]intensely hot, bright cluster stars
   energize the glowing gas. But the cosmic tadpoles themselves are
   composed of denser cooler gas and dust. Around 10 light-years long they
   are likely sites of ongoing [9]star formation. Sculpted by stellar
   winds and radiation their heads are outlined by [10]bright ridges of
   ionized gas while their tails trail away from the cluster's central
   young stars. [11]IC 410 lies some 10,000 light-years away, toward the
   [12]nebula-rich constellation Auriga.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply.
            [29]NASA Web Privacy, [30]Accessibility, [31]Notices;
                A service of: [32]ASD at [33]NASA / [34]GSFC,
                         [35]NASA Science Activation
                           & [36]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2603/APOD_Sub_Tadpoles_NicoCarver.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.instagram.com/nebulaphotosdotcom
   5. https://app.astrobin.com/u/nebulaphotos?i=07is4o
   6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okEPUA_k2xQ
   7. http://arxiv.org/abs/1207.5632
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070726.html
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/science-highlights/exploring-the-birth-of-stars/
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/embryonic-stars-emerge-from-interstellar-eggs/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240202.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140213.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260316.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260317
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260318.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  32. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  35. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  36. http://www.mtu.edu/