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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
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.
LDN 43: The Cosmic Bat Nebula
Explanation: What is the most spook-tacular nebula in the galaxy? One contender is LDN 43, which bears an astonishing resemblance to a vast cosmic bat flying amongst the stars on a dark Halloween night. Located about 1400 light years away in the constellation Ophiuchus , this molecular cloud is dense enough to block light not only from background stars, but from wisps of gas lit up by the nearby reflection nebula LBN 7 . Far from being a harbinger of death, this 12-light year-long filament of gas and dust is actually a stellar nursery . Glowing with eerie light, the bat is lit up from inside by dense gaseous knots that have just formed young stars .
Celebrate: Halloween With NASA Online
| Date | October 31, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Image Credit & Copyright: Mark Hanson and Mike Selby ; Text: Michelle Thaller ( NASA 's GSFC ) |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |