                        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.

                                 2024 May 27

                        Chamaeleon I Molecular Cloud
                 Image Credit & Copyright: Amiel Contuliano

   Explanation: Dark markings and bright nebulae in this telescopic
   southern sky view are telltale signs of young stars and active star
   formation. They lie a mere 650 light-years away, at the boundary of the
   local bubble and the Chamaeleon molecular cloud complex. Regions with
   young stars identified as dusty reflection nebulae from the 1946
   Cederblad catalog include the C-shaped Ced 110 just above and right of
   center, and bluish Ced 111 below it. Also a standout in the frame, the
   orange tinted V-shape of the Chamaeleon Infrared Nebula (Cha IRN) was
   carved by material streaming from a newly formed low-mass star. The
   well-composed image spans 1.5 degrees. That's about 17 light-years at
   the estimated distance of the nearby Chamaeleon I molecular cloud.

                       Tomorrow's picture: stairway to
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
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