Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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.

                                 2025 May 14
    [2]A dark starfield highlights a blue and pink nebula in its center.
   Some dark lanes of dust are seen inside nebula's center. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                      NGC 1360: The Robin's Egg Nebula
   Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Andrea Iorio, [4]Vikas Chander & [5]ShaRA
                                    Team

   Explanation: [6]This pretty nebula lies some 1,500 light-years away,
   its shape and color in this telescopic view reminiscent of a [7]robin's
   egg. The cosmic cloud spans about 3 [8]light-years, nestled securely
   within the boundaries of the southern constellation of the Furnace
   ([9]Fornax). Recognized as a [10]planetary nebula, egg-shaped [11]NGC
   1360 doesn't represent a beginning, [12]though. Instead, it corresponds
   to a brief and final phase in the evolution of an [13]aging star.
   [14]In fact, visible at the center of the nebula, the central star of
   NGC 1360 is known to be a [15]binary star system likely consisting of
   two evolved [16]white dwarf stars, less massive but much hotter than
   [17]the Sun. Their intense and otherwise invisible [18]ultraviolet
   radiation has stripped away [19]electrons from the atoms in their
   mutually surrounding gaseous shroud. The [20]blue-green hue inside of
   NGC 1360 seen here is the strong emission produced as electrons
   recombine with [21]doubly ionized oxygen atoms.

   Celestial Surprise: [22]What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                 (post 1995)
                       Tomorrow's picture: pluto below
     __________________________________________________________________

      [23]< | [24]Archive | [25]Submissions | [26]Index | [27]Search |
   [28]Calendar | [29]RSS | [30]Education | [31]About APOD | [32]Discuss |
                                    [33]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [38]Specific rights apply.
            [39]NASA Web Privacy, [40]Accessibility, [41]Notices;
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC,
                         [45]NASA Science Activation
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2505/NGC1360_Chander_4310.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/a_glimpse_of_universe/
   4. https://www.instagram.com/vikaschanderastrophotography/
   5. https://www.instagram.com/shara_project
   6. https://www.instagram.com/p/DE-YG3CouEd/
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_egg_blue#/media/File:American_Robin_Eggs_in_Nest.jpg
   8. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
   9. https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellations/fornax.html
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_1360
  12. https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1h4ato/thinking_cat_is_thinking/#lightbox
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_evolution#Mature_stars
  14. https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.10891
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap970219.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000910.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221106.html
  18. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves/
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron
  20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_egg_blue
  21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebulium
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250513.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250514
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250515.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/