                        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.

                                2023 April 10
   A bright gaseous nebula is pictured in front of a star field. To some,
     the outline of the nebula make it look like a running chicken. Dark
   knots of dust are seen near the bright nebula's center. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                     IC 2944: The Running Chicken Nebula
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel Stern

   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 16-hour
   exposure over three nights. 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.

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