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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Scorpius in Red and Blue
NASA ^ | May 25, 2012 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 05/24/2012 9:39:09 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Explanation: Cosmic dust clouds dim the light of background stars. But they also reflect the light of stars nearby. Since bright stars tend to radiate strongly in the blue portion of the visible spectrum, and the interstellar dust scatters blue light more strongly than red, the dusty reflection nebulae tend to be blue. Lovely examples are the wispy blue reflection nebulae near bright, hot stars Pi and Delta Scorpii (upper left and lower right) in this telescopic skyscape from the head of the constellation Scorpius. Of course, the contrasting red emission nebulae are also caused by the hot stars' energetic radiation. Ultraviolet photons ionize hydrogen atoms in the interstellar clouds producing the characteristic red hydrogen alpha emission line as the electrons recombine. About 600 light-years away, the nebulae are found in the second version of the Sharpless Catalog as Sh2-1 (left, with reflection nebulae VdB 99) and Sh2-7. At that distance, this field of view is about 40 light-years across.

May 25, 2012

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; science; scorpius
[Credit & Copyright: John Davis]

1 posted on 05/24/2012 9:39:18 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...

2 posted on 05/24/2012 9:39:57 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

As Always...Awesome!


3 posted on 05/24/2012 9:45:55 PM PDT by left that other site
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To: SunkenCiv

Beautiful. I’m always awed.


4 posted on 05/24/2012 10:10:57 PM PDT by onyx (FREE REPUBLIC IS HERE TO STAY!!!)
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To: SunkenCiv
Reminds me of a tarsier:


5 posted on 05/25/2012 4:00:59 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: TheOldLady

It started out Tars, then kept getting Tarsier.


6 posted on 05/25/2012 4:59:19 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

I recall, in my amateur astronomy days, a cluster in Scorpio that I called ‘the Christmas Cluster’. It was an open group of red and green stars.
Never determined its catalog number or if it had one.
May have just been background stars but a beautiful view.


7 posted on 05/25/2012 5:22:53 AM PDT by Vinnie (A)
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To: SunkenCiv

And they’re nocturnal, tarsiest at night, just like Scorpius in Red and Blue!

That’s “tarsiest,” not “tastiest.”

Endangered species, Mr. Civilizations!!


8 posted on 05/25/2012 5:32:43 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: SunkenCiv

“Cosmic dust clouds” - you know, they wouldn’t have these problems if they would just pave their roads.


9 posted on 05/25/2012 6:50:14 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: blueunicorn6

;’)


10 posted on 05/25/2012 6:59:37 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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