by APOD Robot » Tue Oct 31, 2023 4:06 am
Halloween and the Wizard Nebula
Explanation: Halloween's origin is ancient and astronomical. Since the fifth century BC,
Halloween has been celebrated as a
cross-quarter day, a day halfway between an
equinox (equal day / equal night) and a
solstice (minimum day / maximum night in the northern hemisphere). With a
modern calendar however, even though Halloween occurs today, the real cross-
quarter day will occur
next week. Another cross-quarter day is
Groundhog Day. Halloween's modern celebration retains
historic roots in
dressing to scare away the spirits of the dead. Perhaps a fitting tribute to this ancient holiday is
this closeup view of the
Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380). Visually, the interplay of stars, gas, and dust has created a shape that appears to some like a
fictional ancient sorcerer. Although the nebula may last only a few million years, some of the
stars being conjured from the gas by the
great gravitational powers may
outlive our Sun.
[url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231031.html] [img]https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_231031.jpg[/img] [size=150]Halloween and the Wizard Nebula[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] [url=https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween]Halloween's origin[/url] is ancient and astronomical. Since the fifth century BC, [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween]Halloween[/url] has been celebrated as a [url=https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/halloween-derived-from-ancient-celtic-cross-quarter-day/]cross-quarter day[/url], a day halfway between an [url=https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/september-equinox.html]equinox[/url] (equal day / equal night) and a [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220321.html]solstice[/url] (minimum day / maximum night in the northern hemisphere). With a [url=https://webexhibits.org/calendars/year-countries.html]modern calendar[/url] however, even though Halloween occurs today, the real cross-[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_days]quarter day[/url] will occur [url=https://sonrisaeast.com/quarter-sun-cross-quarter-calendar/]next week[/url]. Another cross-quarter day is [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day]Groundhog Day[/url][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZbtAFq7dP8].[/url] Halloween's modern celebration retains [url=https://www.neopagan.net/Halloween-Origins.html]historic roots[/url] in [url=https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/halloween-cat-costumes-19-57f75fe01d15b__605.jpg]dressing to scare[/url] away the spirits of the dead. Perhaps a fitting tribute to this ancient holiday is [url=https://www.astrobin.com/kt2rv5/]this closeup view[/url] of the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_7380]Wizard Nebula[/url] (NGC 7380). Visually, the interplay of stars, gas, and dust has created a shape that appears to some like a [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magician_(fantasy)#/media/File:Arthur-Pyle_The_Enchanter_Merlin.JPG]fictional ancient sorcerer[/url]. Although the nebula may last only a few million years, some of the [url=https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve/]stars being conjured[/url] from the gas by the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_collapse]great gravitational powers[/url] may [url=http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Astro/startime.html]outlive[/url] our Sun.
[table][tr][td=left][url=https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231030][b]<< Previous APOD[/b][/url][/td] [td=center][url=https://asterisk.apod.com/view_retro.php?date=1031][b]This Day in APOD[/b][/url][/td] [td=right][url=https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231101][b]Next APOD >>[/b][/url][/td][/tr][/table]