                        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 September 29
    A famous Pleiades star cluster is shown but showing numerous parallel
      and curved filaments in different colors. The image is in several
   colors of infrared light. A rollover image shows the cluster in visible
   light with its familiar blue light. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                             Seven Dusty Sisters
     Image Credit: WISE, IRSA, NASA; Processing & Copyright : Francesco
                                  Antonucci

   Explanation: Is this really the famous Pleiades star cluster? Known for
   its iconic blue stars, the Pleiades is shown here in infrared light
   where the surrounding dust outshines the stars. Here, three infrared
   colors have been mapped into visual colors (R=24, G=12, B=4.6 microns).
   The base images were taken by NASA's orbiting Wide Field Infrared
   Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft. Cataloged as M45 and nicknamed the
   Seven Sisters, the Pleiades star cluster is by chance situated in a
   passing dust cloud. The light and winds from the massive Pleiades stars
   preferentially repel smaller dust particles, causing the dust to become
   stratified into filaments, as seen. The featured image spans about 20
   light years at the distance of the Pleiades, which lies about 450 light
   years distant toward the constellation of the Bull (Taurus).

                   Tomorrow's picture: comet above clouds
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
                  NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

