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APOD: The Horsehead Nebula (2013 Dec 31)
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 5:05 am
by APOD Robot
The Horsehead Nebula
Explanation: The
Horsehead Nebula is one of the most famous nebulae on the
sky. It is visible as the dark indentation to the red
emission nebula in the center of the above photograph. The
horse-head feature is dark because it is really an opaque
dust cloud that lies in front of the bright red
emission nebula. Like clouds in
Earth's atmosphere, this cosmic cloud has assumed a
recognizable shape by chance. After many thousands of years, the internal motions of the cloud will alter its appearance. The emission
nebula's red color is caused by
electrons recombining with
protons to form
hydrogen atoms. Also visible at the bottom left of the picture is a greenish
reflection nebulae that preferentially
reflects the blue light from
nearby stars.
[/b]
Re: APOD: The Horsehead Nebula (2013 Dec 31)
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 9:33 am
by Boomer12k
Always a pleasure....
The vertical streams remind me of Aurora....only red....
:---[===] *
Re: APOD: The Horsehead Nebula (2013 Dec 31)
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 4:08 pm
by biddie67
It seems to me that the horse head in this cloud has already become less distinct than the first pictures that I saw of it years ago.
Re: APOD: The Horsehead Nebula (2013 Dec 31)
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 5:04 pm
by Jim Armstrong
Thanks for another year of APOD's and Happy New Year.
It would be more in the tradition of avoiding assumptions if the text here read: "...assumed a recognizable shape presumably by chance."
Re: APOD: The Horsehead Nebula (2013 Dec 31)
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 5:10 pm
by Chris Peterson
biddie67 wrote:It seems to me that the horse head in this cloud has already become less distinct than the first pictures that I saw of it years ago.
Most likely just a consequence of changing imaging technology. Dust nebulas don't evolve rapidly. I doubt there has been any obvious visual change in the Horsehead over a few decades.
Re: APOD: The Horsehead Nebula (2013 Dec 31)
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 6:44 pm
by C0ppert0p
The "Man Playing a Flute" nebula, just off to the left of the Horse Head nebula, would be just as well know, if it were bigger
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Re: APOD: The Horsehead Nebula (2013 Dec 31)
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 7:18 pm
by BDanielMayfield
C0ppert0p wrote:The "Man Playing a Flute" nebula, just off to the left of the Horse Head nebula, would be just as well know, if it were bigger
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
I like that, and it demonstrates a fractal nature to these interstellar cloud formations.
Re: APOD: The Horsehead Nebula (2013 Dec 31)
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:37 am
by Ann
BDanielMayfield wrote:C0ppert0p wrote:The "Man Playing a Flute" nebula, just off to the left of the Horse Head nebula, would be just as well know, if it were bigger
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
I like that, and it demonstrates a fractal nature to these interstellar cloud formations.
I like it too, and indeed, it demonstrates the fractal nature of cloud formations!
But the man playing the flute wasn't big enough for
Williamina Fleming to discover him!
Ann
Re: APOD: The Horsehead Nebula (2013 Dec 31)
Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 2:05 am
by Beyond
Not much discussion or horsing around, this time around with the Horsehead Nebula, sooo... i think I'll post my
infrapink version again.