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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- NGC 4372 and the Dark Doodad
NASA ^ | September 10, 2015 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 09/09/2015 10:30:35 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Explanation: The delightful Dark Doodad Nebula drifts through southern skies, a tantalizing target for binoculars in the constellation Musca, The Fly. The dusty cosmic cloud is seen against rich starfields just south of the prominent Coalsack Nebula and the Southern Cross. Stretching for about 3 degrees across this scene the Dark Doodad is punctuated at its southern tip (lower left) by globular star cluster NGC 4372. Of course NGC 4372 roams the halo of our Milky Way Galaxy, a background object some 20,000 light-years away and only by chance along our line-of-sight to the Dark Doodad. The Dark Doodad's well defined silhouette belongs to the Musca molecular cloud, but its better known alliterative moniker was first coined by astro-imager and writer Dennis di Cicco in 1986 while observing Comet Halley from the Australian outback. The Dark Doodad is around 700 light-years distant and over 30 light-years long.

September 10, 2015

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; darkdoodad; doodads; musca; ngc4372; science; thefly
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[Credit and Copyright: Marco Lorenzi]

1 posted on 09/09/2015 10:30:35 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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for later, formal pinging, The Big One:

http://129.164.179.22/apod/image/1509/Dark_Doodad_LRGB_lorenzi2048.jpg

The Small One:

http://129.164.179.22/apod/image/1509/Dark_Doodad_LRGB_lorenzi1024.jpg


2 posted on 09/09/2015 10:31:21 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)
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To: SunkenCiv

“Space Ghost”?


3 posted on 09/09/2015 10:33:22 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper (.)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

“The Dark Doodad” would make a good name for either a superhero or a supervillain.


4 posted on 09/09/2015 11:08:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)
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To: SunkenCiv

The Cosmic Skidmark


5 posted on 09/09/2015 11:39:50 PM PDT by shibumi ("Ego nunquam ubi sub ubi.")
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To: shibumi

The Cosmic Skidmark

ROTFLMAO!

I now have to change my shirt because of the Diet Pepsi that just shot out of my nose!
My first belly laugh since Cruz quoted Shakespeare today!
Thanks!


6 posted on 09/09/2015 11:48:16 PM PDT by rikkir (You can lead a horde to knowledge but you can't make them think. (TnkU ctdonath2))
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To: shibumi

Wasn’t that Timothy Leary?


7 posted on 09/09/2015 11:49:06 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)
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To: SunkenCiv

Leary?

Nah. He was way more far out.


8 posted on 09/09/2015 11:54:43 PM PDT by shibumi ("Ego nunquam ubi sub ubi.")
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To: SunkenCiv
Timothy Leary peers into the Cosmos
in search of Doodads...


9 posted on 09/09/2015 11:59:34 PM PDT by shibumi ("Ego nunquam ubi sub ubi.")
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To: shibumi

I think he did a little too much LDS.


10 posted on 09/10/2015 2:53:34 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (That's also the lead-in for this morning's Mitt Romney joke.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Your use of language has altered since our arrival. It is currently laced with, shall we say, more colorful metaphors, “double dumb-ass on you” and so forth.


11 posted on 09/10/2015 3:09:06 AM PDT by Vaquero ( Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: Vaquero

The collected works of Jacqueline Suzanne. The novels of Harold Robbins.
Ah- the giants.


12 posted on 09/10/2015 3:47:25 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)
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To: shibumi

Bubble Puppy! Oh, sorry.


13 posted on 09/10/2015 3:48:06 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
The Big One

14 posted on 09/10/2015 3:49:39 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)
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To: SunkenCiv

Musical Giants as well...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_otNCZ5T2o


15 posted on 09/10/2015 5:17:30 AM PDT by shibumi ("Ego nunquam ubi sub ubi.")
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

All that’s left of the first starship launched from Epsilus IV.

On paper, it should have worked.


16 posted on 09/10/2015 5:19:08 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: shibumi

You win!............................


17 posted on 09/10/2015 6:08:15 AM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: SunkenCiv

He was a Mormon?.......................Who Knew!?!?!?....................


18 posted on 09/10/2015 6:08:56 AM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: SunkenCiv

I remember them!...........Hot Smoke and Sassafras!...............


19 posted on 09/10/2015 6:10:10 AM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: SunkenCiv

Susann. “Valley of the Dolls” is a classic.


20 posted on 09/10/2015 11:24:46 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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