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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Reflections on VdB 31
NASA ^ | 13 Feb, 2025 | Image Credit & Copyright: Roberto Marinoni

Posted on 02/13/2025 11:38:35 AM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Riding high in the constellation of Auriga, beautiful, blue VdB 31 is the 31st object in Sidney van den Bergh's 1966 catalog of reflection nebulae. It shares this well-composed celestial still life with dark, obscuring clouds B26, B27, and B28, recorded in Edward E. Barnard's 1919 catalog of dark markings in the sky. All are these nebulae are interstellar dust clouds. Barnard's dark nebulae block the light from background stars. For VdB 31 the dust preferentially reflects bluish starlight from embedded, hot, variable star AB Aurigae. Exploring the environs of AB Aurigae with the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed the several million year young star is itself surrounded by a flattened dusty disk with evidence for the ongoing formation of a planetary system. AB Aurigae is about 470 light-years away. At that distance this cosmic canvas would span about eight light-years.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 02/13/2025 11:38:35 AM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 02/13/2025 11:38:56 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

3 posted on 02/13/2025 11:39:46 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber
That's the Netflix Lost in Space Robot. Gargantuan version.
4 posted on 02/13/2025 12:24:50 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: MtnClimber

bkmk


5 posted on 02/13/2025 12:56:23 PM PST by sauropod (Make sure Satan has to climb over a lot of Scripture to get to you. John MacArthur Ne supra crepidam)
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To: DannyTN

Boy did that suck. The movie with Hurts was worse.


6 posted on 02/13/2025 1:00:34 PM PST by Fledermaus (GOP RINOs - Get on Board or Get Out!)
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To: DannyTN

What movie is that from?


7 posted on 02/13/2025 1:12:04 PM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to says it.)
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To: Puppage

TV series Netflix - Lost in Space.

That was their version of the “Danger Will Robinson, Danger” Robot.


8 posted on 02/13/2025 4:32:54 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: DannyTN

I love that! Thanks for LOL!


9 posted on 02/14/2025 7:37:08 AM PST by Deaf and Discerning
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