APOD: Lynds Dark Nebula 1251 (2024 Jun 22)

[APOD Robot]

Lynds Dark Nebula 1251

Explanation: Stars are forming in Lynds Dark Nebula (LDN) 1251. About 1,000 light-years away and drifting above the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, LDN 1251 is also less appetizingly known as "The Rotten Fish Nebula." The dusty molecular cloud is part of a complex of dark nebulae mapped toward the Cepheus flare region. Across the spectrum, astronomical explorations of the obscuring interstellar clouds reveal energetic shocks and outflows associated with newborn stars, including the telltale reddish glow from scattered Herbig-Haro objects hiding in the image. Distant background galaxies also lurk in the scene, almost buried behind the dusty expanse. This alluring view spans over four full moons on the sky, or 35 light-years at the estimated distance of LDN 1251.

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[Ann]

Well, dark nebulas are not my forte and not my interest, but... let's have some fun, shall we?

I see a a very tall cosmic mermaid-alien with bad hair, a misshapen hand and a fishtail in this dark nebula. What do you see?

Lynds Dark Nebula 1251 with mermaid-alien.
Image Credit & Copyright: Long Xin

If we want to be more serious, we can try to identify objects seen in the same direction as the nebula. Here I have identified one star, two background galaxies and one possible region of star formation:

HD 214710 is a red giant star, and UGC 12160 and LEDA 166755
are galaxies. That little orange thingy could be star formation.

Oh, and LDN 1251 is located in Cepheus, between Errai and Alfirk. (And no, Errai isn't spelt with tree r's. That part of the annotation is not mine.)

Constellation Cepheus. Credit: Naoyuki Kurita

Ann

[AVAO]

Well, dark nebulas are not my forte and not my interest, but... let's have some fun, shall we?

I see a a very tall cosmic mermaid-alien with bad hair, a misshapen hand and a fishtail in this dark nebula. What do you see?

APOD 22 June 2024 annotated 1.png

Lynds Dark Nebula 1251 with mermaid-alien.
Image Credit & Copyright: Long Xin

If we want to be more serious, we can try to identify objects seen in the same direction as the nebula. Here I have identified one star, two background galaxies and one possible region of star formation:

APOD 22 June 2024 annotated 2.png

HD 214710 is a red giant star, and UGC 12160 and LEDA 166755
are galaxies. That little orange thingy could be star formation.

Oh, and LDN 1251 is located in Cepheus, between Errai and Alfirk. (And no, Errai isn't spelt with tree r's. That part of the annotation is not mine.)

Constellation Cepheus with LDN 1251 Naoyuki Kurita.png

Constellation Cepheus. Credit: Naoyuki Kurita

Ann

Everything is a question of wavelength. I like your reading cosmic mermaid and her three playing galaxy children in the background. She is a beauty

Click to view full size image 1 or image 2

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/538 ... e897_o.jpg HERSCHEL (IR) jac berne (flickr)

[Ann]

Well, dark nebulas are not my forte and not my interest, but... let's have some fun, shall we?

I see a a very tall cosmic mermaid-alien with bad hair, a misshapen hand and a fishtail in this dark nebula. What do you see?

APOD 22 June 2024 annotated 1.png

Lynds Dark Nebula 1251 with mermaid-alien.
Image Credit & Copyright: Long Xin

If we want to be more serious, we can try to identify objects seen in the same direction as the nebula. Here I have identified one star, two background galaxies and one possible region of star formation:

APOD 22 June 2024 annotated 2.png

HD 214710 is a red giant star, and UGC 12160 and LEDA 166755
are galaxies. That little orange thingy could be star formation.

Oh, and LDN 1251 is located in Cepheus, between Errai and Alfirk. (And no, Errai isn't spelt with tree r's. That part of the annotation is not mine.)

Constellation Cepheus with LDN 1251 Naoyuki Kurita.png

Constellation Cepheus. Credit: Naoyuki Kurita

Ann

Everything is a question of wavelength. I like your reading cosmic mermaid and her three playing galaxy children in the background. She is a beauty

Click to view full size image 1 or image 2

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/538 ... e897_o.jpg HERSCHEL (IR) jac berne (flickr)

Thanks, Jac, I'm really flattered that you would use my annotated mermaid to show the locations of star formation in LDN 1251!

(And of course the mermaid is reading something! I didn't even see it.)

Ann

[Christian G.]

telltale reddish glow from scattered Herbig-Haro objects hiding in the image.

Telltale yet hidden seems contradictory! Where in the image do we see signs of HH objects?

[jelh]

I also wondered about the HH objects. I could not spot any.

[Ann]

telltale reddish glow from scattered Herbig-Haro objects hiding in the image.

Telltale yet hidden seems contradictory! Where in the image do we see signs of HH objects?

Maybe these:

Ann

[Chris Peterson]

Lynds Dark Nebula 1251

Explanation: Stars are forming in Lynds Dark Nebula (LDN) 1251. About 1,000 light-years away and drifting above the plane of our Milky Way galaxy, LDN 1251 is also less appetizingly known as "The Rotten Fish Nebula." The dusty molecular cloud is part of a complex of dark nebulae mapped toward the Cepheus flare region. Across the spectrum, astronomical explorations of the obscuring interstellar clouds reveal energetic shocks and outflows associated with newborn stars, including the telltale reddish glow from scattered Herbig-Haro objects hiding in the image. Distant background galaxies also lurk in the scene, almost buried behind the dusty expanse. This alluring view spans over four full moons on the sky, or 35 light-years at the estimated distance of LDN 1251.

<< Previous APOD

This Day in APOD

Next APOD >>

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[Christian G.]

telltale reddish glow from scattered Herbig-Haro objects hiding in the image.

Telltale yet hidden seems contradictory! Where in the image do we see signs of HH objects?

Maybe these:


APOD 22 June 2024 annotated 3.png


Ann

Thanks!