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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Spectre in the Eastern Veil
NASA ^ | October 30, 2013 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 10/30/2013 3:19:24 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

Explanation: Frightening forms and scary faces are a mark of the Halloween season. They also haunt this cosmic close-up of the eastern Veil Nebula. The Veil Nebula itself is a large supernova remnant, the expanding debris cloud from the death explosion of a massive star. While the Veil is roughly circular in shape covering nearly 3 degrees on the sky in the constellation Cygnus, this portion of the eastern Veil spans only 1/2 degree, about the apparent size of the Moon. That translates to 12 light-years at the Veil's reassuring estimated distance of 1,400 light-years from planet Earth. In the composite of image data recorded through narrow band filters, emission from hydrogen atoms in the remnant is shown in red with strong emission from oxygen atoms in blue-green hues. In the western part of the Veil lies another seasonal apparition, the Witch's Broom.

October 30, 2013

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; cygnus; nebula; science; veilnebula; witchsbroom
[Credit & Copyright: Alfonso Carreño (Observatorio Zonalunar)]

1 posted on 10/30/2013 3:19:24 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
The Big One

2 posted on 10/30/2013 3:20:09 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: SunkenCiv

Looks like a big nebula bat.


3 posted on 10/30/2013 3:24:19 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: SunkenCiv

Beautiful, but I’d hate to be lost in outer space.


4 posted on 10/30/2013 3:36:40 AM PDT by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
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To: fieldmarshaldj; SunkenCiv
Cosmic PigDragon (snout to the left - dragon head to the right)

New desktop - Thanks SC.
5 posted on 10/30/2013 4:04:58 AM PDT by Tainan (Cogito, ergo conservatus sum -- "The Taliban is inside the building")
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To: onyx

Just remember, No matter where ya go...There ya are....;)


6 posted on 10/30/2013 4:06:10 AM PDT by Tainan (Cogito, ergo conservatus sum -- "The Taliban is inside the building")
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To: SunkenCiv

7 posted on 10/30/2013 4:06:52 AM PDT by Slyfox (Satan's goal is to rub out the image of God he sees in the face of every human.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Oooooooo! Ahhhhhhhh!

Most Excellent!


8 posted on 10/30/2013 4:40:50 AM PDT by left that other site (You Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Set You Free...John 8:32)
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To: SunkenCiv

Funny what different eyes will see. I saw a bat and my little one sees “a scary, scary face” towards the right. BOOOOO, Sunky!


9 posted on 10/30/2013 6:01:14 AM PDT by momtothree
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To: Tainan
We must be on different meds :)
I see an owl in the middle and a man with a hawk nose to the right.
10 posted on 10/30/2013 6:08:27 AM PDT by ComputerGuy (HM2/USN M/3/3 Marines RVN 66-67)
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To: SunkenCiv

1400 light years actually seems fairly close for a supernova. I would expect it to have been visible from the earth at the time; any guesses how long ago? (Don’t be snarky and say “1400 years.”) I’m guessing it was a few centuries before that.


11 posted on 10/30/2013 6:44:29 AM PDT by henkster (Communists never negotiate.)
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To: ComputerGuy
Ya know...once I set it as my desktop, I also began to see the owl.
A huge, hauntingly evil looking owl...with nebulous plumage...extending light years out into the vast empty cauldron of space...eerily floating in a galaxy far far away...

I guess my meds kicked in about that time...;)

...the colors man...wow...
12 posted on 10/30/2013 4:06:44 PM PDT by Tainan (Cogito, ergo conservatus sum -- "The Taliban is inside the building")
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