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 April 13
    [2]A starfield surrounds a large light-brown nebula that has several
    dust pillars. In the center of the nebula are many bright blue stars.
   Some distant galaxies are visible through and around the nebula. Please
             see the explanation for more detailed information.

                             NGC 602 and Beyond
       Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, and the [5]Hubble Heritage Team
              ([6]STScI/[7]AURA) - [8]ESA/Hubble Collaboration

   Explanation: The clouds may look like an oyster, and the stars like
   pearls, but look beyond. Near the outskirts of the [9]Small Magellanic
   Cloud, a satellite galaxy some 200 thousand light-years distant, lies 5
   million year [10]young star cluster [11]NGC 602. Surrounded by natal
   gas and dust, [12]NGC 602 is featured in this [13]stunning Hubble image
   of the region. [14]Fantastic ridges and swept back shapes strongly
   suggest that energetic radiation and shock waves from [15]NGC 602's
   massive young stars have eroded the [16]dusty material and triggered a
   progression of [17]star formation moving away from the cluster's
   center. At the estimated distance of the [18]Small Magellanic Cloud,
   [19]the featured picture spans about 200 light-years, but a
   [20]tantalizing assortment of background galaxies are also visible in
   [21]this sharp multi-colored view. The [22]background galaxies are
   hundreds of millions of [23]light-years or more [24]beyond NGC 602.

      Sky Surprise: [25]What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                (after 1995)
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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    Authors & editors: [37]Robert Nemiroff ([38]MTU) & [39]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([40]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [41]Specific rights apply.
            [42]NASA Web Privacy, [43]Accessibility, [44]Notices;
                A service of: [45]ASD at [46]NASA / [47]GSFC,
                         [48]NASA Science Activation
                           & [49]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2604/Ngc602_Hubble_3749.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.spacetelescope.org/
   5. https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/the-hubble-heritage-project/
   6. https://www.stsci.edu/
   7. https://www.aura-astronomy.org/
   8. https://www.spacetelescope.org/
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Magellanic_Cloud
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_evolution
  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpQgKX1fGxQ
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_602
  13. https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2007/news-2007-04.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap061227.html
  15. https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/videos/2007/04/539-Video.html
  16. https://youtu.be/jn5M48MVWyg
  17. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210105.html
  19. https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2007/04/2042-Image.html
  20. https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/2jqsdk/the_omg_cat/#lightbox
  21. http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2013/ngc602/
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250302.html
  23. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150307.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260412.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  32. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  35. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260413
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260414.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  39. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  40. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  41. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  45. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  48. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  49. http://www.mtu.edu/