Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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 April 7
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                                 Rigel Wide
                     Image Credit: [3]Rheinhold Wittich

   Explanation: [4]Brilliant, blue, supergiant star Rigel marks the foot
   of Orion the Hunter in [5]planet Earth's night. Designated Beta
   Orionis, it's at the center of this remarkably [6]deep and wide field
   of view. Rigel's blue color indicates that it is much hotter than its
   rival supergiant in Orion the yellowish [7]Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis),
   though both stars are massive enough to eventually [8]end their days as
   [9]core collapse supernovae. Some 860 light-years away, Rigel is hotter
   than the Sun too and extends to about 74 times the solar radius. That's
   about the size of the orbit of Mercury. In the 10 degree wide frame
   toward the nebula rich constellation, the Orion Nebula is at the upper
   left. To the right of Rigel and illuminated by its brilliant blue
   starlight lies the dusty Witch Head Nebula. [10]Rigel is part of a
   multiple star system, though its companion stars are much fainter.

                     Tomorrow's picture: medieval times
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    Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [26]Specific rights apply.
              [27]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [28]ASD at [29]NASA / [30]GSFC,
                         [31]NASA Science Activation
                           & [32]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2304/Rigel_wide.jpg
   3. https://www.wittich.com/
   4. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/rigel.html
   5. https://nasa.tumblr.com/post/659138889555050496/discovering-the-universe-through-the-constellation
   6. https://www.wittich.com/?p=9296
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200511.html
   8. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012ApJ...747..108M/abstract
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernova#Core_collapse
  10. https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/blue-white-rigel-is-orions-brightest-star/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230406.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  20. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230407
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230408.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  31. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  32. http://www.mtu.edu/