Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]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 October 26 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Phantoms in Cassiopeia Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Christophe Vergnes, Hervé Laur Explanation: These brightly outlined flowing shapes look ghostly on a cosmic scale. [5]A telescopic view toward the constellation [6]Cassiopeia, the colorful skyscape features the swept-back, comet-shaped clouds IC 59 (left) and IC 63. About 600 light-years distant, [7]the clouds aren't actually ghosts. They are slowly disappearing though, under the influence of [8]energetic radiation from hot, luminous star gamma Cas. [9]Gamma Cas is physically located only 3 to 4 light-years from the nebulae and lies just above the right edge of the frame. Slightly closer to gamma Cas, IC 63 is dominated by [10]red H-alpha light emitted as hydrogen atoms ionized by the hot star's ultraviolet radiation recombine with electrons. Farther from the star, IC 59 shows less H-alpha emission but more of the characteristic blue tint of dust [11]reflected star light. The field of view spans over 1 degree or 10 light-years at the estimated distance of [12]the interstellar apparitions. Tomorrow's picture: bats in space __________________________________________________________________ [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search | [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss | [23]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell ([27]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply. [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC, [33]NASA Science Activation & [34]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2410/IC63.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.astrobin.com/users/Chris.V/ 5. https://www.astrobin.com/18dwm3/ 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160318.html 7. http://iopscience.iop.org/1538-3881/129/2/954 8. https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.01419 9. https://www.aavso.org/vsots_gammacas 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111013.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091126.html 12. https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.04313 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241025.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241026 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241027.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/ 32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 34. http://www.mtu.edu/