Astronomy Picture of the Day
Posted By admin On April 5, 2011 @ 5:43 pm In Photo Essays | Comments Disabled
[1]
The Trifid Nebula is Stars and Dust
Credit & Copyright [2]: Robert Gendler [3]; Data Acquisition: Ryan Hannahoe [4]
Explanation: Unspeakable beauty and unimaginable bedlam can be found together in the Trifid Nebula [5]. Also known as M20, this photogenic nebula [6] is visible [7] with good binoculars towards the constellation [8] of Sagittarius [9]. The energetic processes of star formation [10] create not only the colors but the chaos [11]. The red-glowing gas [12] results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen [13] gas. The dark dust [14] filaments [15] that lace M20 [16] were created in the atmospheres of coolgiant stars [17] and in the debris [18] from supernovae [19] explosions. Which bright young stars light up the blue reflection nebula [20] is still being investigated [21]. The light from M20 [22] we see today left perhaps 3,000 years ago, although the exact distance remains unknown. Light takes about 50 years to cross M20 [23].
Visit the NASA/JPL website to view more Astronomy Pictures of the Day [24]
Article printed from Recorder Online: http://www.berthoudrecorder.com
URL to article: http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/2011/04/05/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-50/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/m20_gendler_big.jpg
[2] Copyright: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[3] Robert Gendler: http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/Biography.html
[4] Ryan Hannahoe: http://www.astronomicalimaging.com/
[5] Trifid Nebula: http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m020.html
[6] this photogenic nebula: http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/M20-Mosaic.html
[7] visible: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011229.html
[8] constellation: http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html
[9] Sagittarius: http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Sagittarius.html
[10] star formation: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030816.html
[11] chaos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_%28physics%29
[12] red-glowing gas: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap980828.html
[13] hydrogen: http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/1.html
[14] dust: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html
[15] filaments: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010928.html
[16] M20: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap970828.html
[17] giant stars: http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/workx/starlife/StarpageS_26M.html
[18] debris: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091025.html
[19] supernovae: http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/supernovae.html
[20] reflection nebula: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/reflection_nebulae.html
[21] being investigated: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1986AJ.....92.1125L
[22] M20: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifid_Nebula
[23] M20: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aolbM62bfNA
[24] Astronomy Pictures of the Day: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/
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