APOD 4.1

In this image, it appears as though there is a large void of stars in the middle of space, but in reality there are thousands of stars there. This large empty space, once considered a hole in the sky, is now known as a dark molecular cloud. A high concentration of dust and molecular dust absorbs almost all the visible light emitted from the background stars. The interior of molecular clouds is the coldest and most isolated places in the universe. A notable molecular cloud, pictured above, is Barnard 68, toward the constellation Ophiuchus. Since there are no stars in the middle, Barnard 68 is relatively nearby, only about 500 light-years away and half a light-year across. These clouds are likely places for stars to form , but it is unknown how the cloud itself forms. With the use of infrared light, however, it is possible to look right through the cloud. It is pretty amazing how it appears there is a large void in space, but in actuality, there are thousands of stars behind the cloud.

APOD 3.9

Since we have been studying star formation, this apod seemed relatively appropriate. Astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to show LH 95, in the Large Magellanic Cloud, in great detail so that they could understand the process. Typically, only the bluest, brightest, most massive stars in a star forming region are visible, but in this highly resolved image, even the recently born more yellow, more dim, and less massive are also visible. Due to the scientific coloring of the image, one can also see blue sheen of diffuse hydrogen gas heated by the young stars and dark dust formed by stars or during supernova explosions. LH 95 spans about 150 light-years and lies almost 160,000 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Dorado, or swordfish. I couldn't even imagine counting all the stars in this LH 95 area. It's truly incredible to see so many stars in such a "small" area, along with the mix of blue hydrogen gas and dark dust.

Apparent Magnitude

Eta Aurigae- 3.6
Beta Eridani- 4.0
Gamma Orionis- 2.4
Beta Tauri- 3.1
Delta Orionis- 2.0
Zeta Orionis- 2.0
Mu Geminorum- 2.8
Xi Geminorum- 3.7
Sigma Canis Majorum- 4.4
Eta Canis Majorum- 2.0
Alpha Geminorum- 1.0

Planetary Nebula

<-Ring Nebula Helix^

A planetary nebula is a nebula, such as the Ring Nebula, consisting of a hot, blue-white, central star surrounded by an envelope of expanding gas.

NGC 6543

NGC 2440

Eskimo Nebula

NGC 7009

Cat's Eye Nebula

Spherical Nebula, Abell 39

Ant Nebula

M76, Dumbell Nebula

APOD 3.8

The Cat's Paw Nebula, located in Scorpius, is nearly 5,500 light-years away. It is an emission nebula with a red color originating from an abundance of ionized hydrogen atoms. Also known as the Bear Claw Nebula or NGC 6334, there are stars nearly ten times the mass of our Sun that have been born in this region in only the past few million years. The end of the Cat's Paw Nebula, the part shown here, was imaged from the Blanco 4-meter Telescope in Chile. This image is pretty amazing, especially since the nebula looks so much like a cats paw. The colors are extraordinary, and you can actually see the thousands of stars within the emission nebula that are relatively recently born.

APOD 3.7

These two spiral galaxies appear to being pulling each other apart. Known as the mice because their tails are so long, it is believed that they have already passed through each other, and will continue to do so until they integrate. The long tails are created by a relative difference between gravitational pullson the near and far parts of each galaxy. Due to the large distances, the cosmic interractions take place in slow motion, nearly millions of years. NGC 4676 lies almost 300 million light-years away near the constellation Coma Berenices (Bernice's Hair), and are likely members of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies. There are also other galaxies scattered about in the distance of this large field view. This looks pretty amazing, seeing as these two spiral galaxies seem to be tugging at each other, like a tug of war, until they will eventually collide and combine. Its also pretty cool to see the other galaxies, small but visible, in the distance.