Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Great Carina Nebula

NASA ^ | October 15, 2013 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: A jewel of the southern sky, the Great Carina Nebula, also known as NGC 3372, spans over 300 light-years, one of our galaxy's largest star forming regions. Like the smaller, more northerly Great Orion Nebula, the Carina Nebula is easily visible to the unaided eye, though at a distance of 7,500 light-years it is some 5 times farther away. This gorgeous telescopic portrait reveals remarkable details of the region's glowing filaments of interstellar gas and obscuring cosmic dust clouds. Wider than the Full Moon in angular size, the field of view stretches over 300 light-years across the nebula. The Carina Nebula is home to young, extremely massive stars, including the still enigmatic variable Eta Carinae, a star with well over 100 times the mass of the Sun. Eta Carinae is the brightest star near the image center, just left of the dusty Keyhole Nebula (NGC 3324). While Eta Carinae itself maybe on the verge of a supernova explosion, X-ray images indicate that the Great Carina Nebula has been a veritable supernova factory.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Lorand Fenyes]

[SunkenCiv]

How to follow APOD if the US government shuts down. · Temporary EZ-post.

The Big One

join or quit list APoD 'blog post new APoD topic Astronomy Picture of the Day topic & keyword Astronomy Chat, Bloggers & keyword Science Chat, Bloggers & keyword NASA's APoD archive Calendar 1995-present APoD on your desktop

[Red_Devil 232]

The name reminded of this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ3ehJts8iQ

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69O4PXzAQ5Y

[SunkenCiv]

King Crimson “Red” (full album, HQ)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69O4PXzAQ5Y

David Bedford “Star’s End” (full album)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGQN6WbjF4s

[Red_Devil 232]

Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you’ll sing “Vita bella”
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella

[dr_lew]

Here’s a Starry Night view from Panama at 8AM on this date ( I turned off “daylight” ! ) Note that at any longitude it will rise with the sun at this season.

That’s the Large Magellanic Cloud at the lower right. There’s a bucket list item for you, “See the southern sky.” A little more doable than the rings of Saturn, I guess.

[dr_lew]

Oops.

[SunkenCiv]

Best voice of the Rat Pack, in case anyone wants MHO. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks dr_lew.