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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Pelican Nebula in Gas, Dust, and Stars
NASA ^ | November 17, 2015 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 11/17/2015 10:28:45 AM PST by SunkenCiv

Explanation: The Pelican Nebula is slowly being transformed. IC 5070, the official designation, is divided from the larger North America Nebula by a molecular cloud filled with dark dust. The Pelican, however, receives much study because it is a particularly active mix of star formation and evolving gas clouds. The featured picture was produced in three specific colors -- light emitted by sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen -- that can help us to better understand these interactions. The light from young energetic stars is slowly transforming the cold gas to hot gas, with the advancing boundary between the two, known as an ionization front, visible in bright orange on the right. Particularly dense tentacles of cold gas remain. Millions of years from now this nebula might no longer be known as the Pelican, as the balance and placement of stars and gas will surely leave something that appears completely different.

November 17, 2015

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; pelicannebula; science
[Credit and Copyright: Roberto Colombari]

1 posted on 11/17/2015 10:28:45 AM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
The Big One

2 posted on 11/17/2015 10:29:56 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: SunkenCiv

someone point out the pelican pls. don’t see it


3 posted on 11/17/2015 10:37:28 AM PST by beebuster2000
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To: SunkenCiv

Only 2,000 light years from earth. The distances are crazy. I was reading about the speed of light the other day, it can circle the earth 7 times a second. I mean try even counting to 7 in one second, yet we have stars and galaxies that are billions of light years away. Look at this one, 13.3 billion light years from earth.....

http://www.space.com/18502-farthest-galaxy-discovery-hubble-photos.html


4 posted on 11/17/2015 10:47:00 AM PST by GrandJediMasterYoda (B. Hussein Obama: 20 acts of Treason and counting.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Hi.

I’m like the Pelican nebula. I’m a star to my wife, I’m full of gas, and one day I’ll turn into dust.

5.56mm


5 posted on 11/17/2015 10:57:27 AM PST by M Kehoe
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To: beebuster2000

Gotta look for the food for a week. Hmm, that’s probably in Pisces...


6 posted on 11/17/2015 12:09:05 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: M Kehoe

:’)


7 posted on 11/17/2015 12:09:12 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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