Astronomy Picture of the Day

  T Tauri and Hind's Variable Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block, Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, U. Arizona Explanation: The yellowish star near center in this remarkable telescopic skyview is T Tauri, prototype of the class of T Tauri variable stars. Nearby it is a dusty yellow cosmic cloud historically known as Hind's Variable Nebula (NGC 1555). Over 400 light-years away, at the edge of a molecular cloud, both star and nebula are seen to vary significantly in brightness ... Full Story