Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2021 March 22

                            From Auriga to Orion
                  Image Credit & Copyright: Alistair Symon

   Explanation: What's up in the sky from Auriga to Orion? Many of the
   famous stars and nebulas in this region were captured on 34 separate
   images, taking over 430 hours of exposure, and digitally combined to
   reveal the featured image. Starting on the far upper left, toward the
   constellation of Auriga (the Chariot driver), is the picturesque
   Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405). Continuing down along the bright arc of
   our Milky Way Galaxy, from left to right crossing the constellations of
   the Twins and the Bull, notable appearing nebulas include the Tadpole,
   Simeis 147, Monkey Head, Jellyfish, Cone and Rosette nebulas. In the
   upper right quadrant of the image, toward the constellation of Orion
   (the hunter), you can see Sh2-264, the half-circle of Barnard's Loop,
   and the Horsehead and Orion nebulas. Famous stars in and around Orion
   include, from left to right, orange Betelgeuse (just right of the image
   center), blue Bellatrix (just above it), the Orion belt stars of
   Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak, while bright Rigel appears on the far
   upper right. This stretch of sky won't be remaining up in the night
   very long -- it will be setting continually earlier in the evening as
   mid-year approaches.

                   Tomorrow's picture: old stones and mars
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
                NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

--- hpt/lnx 1.9.0