                        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 August 28
   A picture of a starfield with red emission nebulae is shown. Toward the
     right is a point of light that is Cygnus X-1, a nearby black hole.
   Above the black hole is a blue-shaded bow shock wave in the surrounding
       gas. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                   Tulip Nebula and Black Hole Cygnus X-1
                  Image Credit & Copyright: Anirudh Shastry

   Explanation: When can you see a black hole, a tulip, and a swan all at
   once? At night -- if the timing is right, and if your telescope is
   pointed in the right direction. The complex and beautiful Tulip Nebula
   blossoms about 8,000 light-years away toward the constellation of
   Cygnus the Swan. Ultraviolet radiation from young energetic stars at
   the edge of the Cygnus OB3 association, including O star HDE 227018,
   ionizes the atoms and powers the emission from the Tulip Nebula.
   Stewart Sharpless cataloged this nearly 70 light-years across reddish
   glowing cloud of interstellar gas and dust in 1959, as Sh2-101. Also in
   the featured field of view is the black hole Cygnus X-1, which to be a
   microquasar because it is one of strongest X-ray sources in planet
   Earth's sky. Blasted by powerful jets from a lurking black hole, its
   fainter bluish curved shock front is only faintly visible beyond the
   cosmic Tulip's petals, near the right side of the frame.

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