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 December 6
   [2]Brown dust pillars in the Carina Nebula are shown. Many appear like
     a torch since their ends are lit up with starlight. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                   Stars Versus Dust in the Carina Nebula
    Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]Hubble Heritage ([6]STScI/[7]AURA);
             Processing: [8]Franco Meconi ([9]Terraza al Cosmos)

   Explanation: It's stars versus dust in the Carina Nebula and the stars
   are winning. More precisely, the [10]energetic light and [11]winds from
   massive newly formed [12]stars are evaporating and dispersing the
   [13]dusty stellar nurseries in which they formed. Located in the
   [14]Carina Nebula and inside a region known informally as [15]Mystic
   Mountain, these pillars' appearance is dominated by opaque brown dust
   even though it is composed mostly of clear [16]hydrogen gas. Even
   though some of the [17]dust pillars look like [18]torches, their ends
   are not on [19]fire -- rather, they are illuminated by nearby stars.
   About 7,500 light-years distant, the featured image was taken with the
   [20]Hubble Space Telescope and highlights an interior region of Carina
   known as [21]HH1066 which spans nearly a [22]light year. Within a few
   million years, the stars will likely [23]win out completely and the
   dust torches will completely [24]evaporate.

              Tomorrow's picture: Orion and the Ocean of Storms
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [36]Robert Nemiroff ([37]MTU) & [38]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([39]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [40]Specific rights apply.
              [41]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC,
                         [45]NASA Science Activation
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2312/TorchedDust_HubbleMecone_960.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://hubblesite.org/images/hubble-heritage
   6. https://www.stsci.edu/
   7. https://www.aura-astronomy.org/
   8. https://www.instagram.com/terrazaalcosmos/
   9. https://www.instagram.com/terrazaalcosmos/
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000318.html
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220314.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190623.html
  15. https://esahubble.org/images/heic1007a/
  16. http://apod.nasa.gov/rjn/apod/lib/lament.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211214.html
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torch
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180826.html
  20. https://hubblesite.org/mission-and-telescope
  21. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/HST-WFC3-Imaging-of-Protostellar-Jets-in-Carina:-Reiter-Smith/71a6e0755f3b9ec46ca909c34ff0d3b282c6be00/figure/6
  22. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
  23. https://www.barnorama.com/wp-content/images/2013/01/Cats-Standing/30-Cats-Standing.jpg
  24. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/avgUGHv2Sl4
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231205.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  31. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  34. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231206
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231207.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  38. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  39. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/