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.

                                2020 April 20

                     IC 2944: The Running Chicken Nebula
                    Image Credit & Copyright: Juan Filas

   Explanation: To some, it looks like a giant chicken running across the
   sky. To others, it looks like a gaseous nebula where star formation
   takes place. Cataloged as IC 2944, the Running Chicken Nebula spans
   about 100 light years and lies about 6,000 light years away toward the
   constellation of the Centaur (Centaurus). The featured image, shown in
   scientifically assigned colors, was captured recently in a 12-hour
   exposure. The star cluster Collinder 249 is visible embedded in the
   nebula's glowing gas. Although difficult to discern here, several dark
   molecular clouds with distinct shapes can be found inside the nebula.

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