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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.

                               2026 January 5
    A dark field surrounds a red nebula. The shape of the nebula appears
                               like the letter

                    The Red Rectangle Nebula from Hubble
     Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt

   Explanation: How was the unusual Red Rectangle nebula created? At the
   nebula's center is an aging binary star system that surely powers the
   nebula but does not, as yet, explain its colors. The unusual shape of
   the Red Rectangle is likely due to a thick dust torus which pinches the
   otherwise spherical outflow into tip-touching cone shapes. Because we
   view the torus edge-on, the boundary edges of the cone shapes seem to
   form an X. The distinct rungs suggest the outflow occurs in fits and
   starts. The unusual colors of the nebula are less well understood,
   however, and speculation holds that they are partly provided by
   hydrocarbon molecules that may actually be building blocks for organic
   life. The Red Rectangle nebula lies about 2,300 light years away
   towards the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros). The nebula is
   shown here in great detail as a reprocessed image from Hubble Space
   Telescope. In a few million years, as one of the central stars becomes
   further depleted of nuclear fuel, the Red Rectangle nebula will likely
   bloom into a planetary nebula.

                   Tomorrow's picture: jupiter-sized mess
     __________________________________________________________________

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

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