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.

                               2019 November 8

                     NGC 3572 and the Southern Tadpoles
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Josep Drudis

   Explanation: This cosmic skyscape features glowing gas and dark dust
   clouds along side the young stars of NGC 3572. A beautiful emission
   nebula and star cluster in far southern skies, the region is often
   overlooked by astroimagers in favor of its brighter neighbor, the
   nearby Carina Nebula. Stars from NGC 3572 are toward the upper left in
   the telescopic frame that would measure about 100 light-years across at
   the cluster's estimated distant of 9,000 light-years. The visible
   interstellar gas and dust is part of the star cluster's natal molecular
   cloud. Dense streamers of material within the nebula, eroded by stellar
   winds and radiation, clearly trail away from the energetic young stars.
   They are likely sites of ongoing star formation with shapes reminiscent
   of the cosmic Tadpoles of IC 410 better known to northern skygazers. In
   the coming tens to hundreds of millions of years, gas and stars in the
   cluster will be dispersed though, by gravitational tides and by violent
   supernova explosions that end the short lives of the massive cluster
   stars.

                    Tomorrow's picture: Saturn the Giant
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