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                           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 March 17   
      
                                 The Medusa Nebula   
        Image Credit & Copyright: Martin Bradley Chesterfield Astronomical   
                                      Society   
      
      Explanation: Braided and serpentine filaments of glowing gas suggest   
      this nebula's popular name, The Medusa Nebula. Also known as Abell 21,   
      this Medusa is an old planetary nebula some 1,500 light-years away in   
      the constellation Gemini. Like its mythological namesake, the nebula is   
      associated with a dramatic transformation. The planetary nebula phase   
      represents a final stage in the evolution of low mass stars like the   
      sun as they transform themselves from red giants to hot white dwarf   
      stars and in the process shrug off their outer layers. Ultraviolet   
      radiation from the hot star powers the nebular glow. The Medusa's   
      transforming star is the faint one near the center of the overall   
      bright crescent shape. In this deep telescopic view, fainter filaments   
      clearly extend below and right of the bright crescent region. The   
      Medusa Nebula is estimated to be over 4 light-years across.   
      
                      Tomorrow's picture: supernova's prelude   
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