MSGID: 1:153/757.0 ed3e026f
TZUTC: -0700
CHRS: LATIN-1 2
                        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.

                   Back to School? Learn Science with NASA
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

       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.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7
 * Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)
SEEN-BY: 90/1 105/81 106/201 129/305 134/100 153/135 148 757 6809
SEEN-BY: 153/7083 7715 218/700 840 221/1 6 360 226/30 227/114 229/110
SEEN-BY: 229/114 206 307 317 400 426 428 470 664 700 240/1120 266/512
SEEN-BY: 282/1038 291/111 301/1 113 812 320/219 322/757 335/364 341/66
SEEN-BY: 342/200 396/45 460/58 256 1124 633/280 712/848 5020/400 1042
SEEN-BY: 5054/30 5075/35
PATH: 153/757 221/6 301/1 460/58 229/426