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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 August 22   
       A diffuse nebula is seen against a dark starfield. The center of the   
         nebula is blue and it is surrounded by a red glow. Please see the   
                    explanation for more detailed information.   
      
                               The Pistachio Nebula   
              Credit & Copyright: Bray Falls & Chester Hall-Fernandez   
      
      Explanation: This nebula had never been noted before. Newly discovered   
      nebulas are usually angularly small and found by professionals using   
      large telescopes. In contrast, the Pistachio Nebula was discovered by   
      dedicated amateurs and, although faint, is nearly the size of the full   
      Moon. In modern times, amateurs with even small telescopes can create   
      long exposures over sky areas much larger than most professional   
      telescopes can see. They can therefore discover both previously unknown   
      areas of extended emission around known objects, as well as entirely   
      unknown objects, like nebulas. The pictured Pistachio Nebula is shown   
      in oxygen emission (blue) and hydrogen emission (red). The nature of   
      the hot central star is currently unknown, and the nebula might be   
      labeled a planetary nebula if it turns out to be a white dwarf star.   
      The featured image is a composite of over 70 hours of exposure taken in   
      early June under the dark skies of Namibia.   
      
                          Tomorrow's picture: comet rain   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
               NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.   
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                         A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,   
                              NASA Science Activation   
                                & Michigan Tech. U.   
      
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