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 June 14
   [2]A dark brown cloud that appears similar to a shark is seen against a
    background filled with stars and less prominent blue-shaded nebulas.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                              The Shark Nebula
                Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Stephen Kennedy

   Explanation: There is no sea on Earth large enough to contain the Shark
   nebula. This [4]predator apparition poses us no danger as it is
   composed only of interstellar gas and [5]dust. Dark dust like that
   [6]featured here is somewhat like cigarette smoke and [7]created in the
   cool atmospheres of giant [8]stars. After being expelled with gas and
   [9]gravitationally recondensing, massive stars may [10]carve intricate
   structures into their birth cloud using their high energy light and
   fast [11]stellar winds as sculpting tools. The heat they generate
   evaporates the murky [12]molecular cloud as well as causing ambient
   hydrogen gas to disperse and glow red. During disintegration, we humans
   can enjoy [13]imagining these [14]great clouds as [15]common icons,
   like we do for [16]water clouds on Earth. Including [17]smaller dust
   nebulae such as Lynds Dark Nebula 1235 and Van den Bergh 149 & 150, the
   [18]Shark nebula spans about 15 light years and lies about 650
   [19]light years away toward the constellation of the King of Aethiopia
   ([20]Cepheus).

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

      [21]< | [22]Archive | [23]Submissions | [24]Index | [25]Search |
   [26]Calendar | [27]RSS | [28]Education | [29]About APOD | [30]Discuss |
                                    [31]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([35]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [36]Specific rights apply.
              [37]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [38]ASD at [39]NASA / [40]GSFC,
                         [41]NASA Science Activation
                           & [42]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2306/Shark_Kennedy_4176.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/occupyspacecreations/
   4. https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/endoceansharks/
   5. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html
   6. https://www.instagram.com/p/CskcSjVsGKH/
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_dust#Dust_grain_formation
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve
   9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbdwTwB8jtc
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221020.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000318.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230129.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120124.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap141008.html
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia
  16. https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1509/shark_toet_1000_anno.jpg
  18. https://www.galactic-hunter.com/post/the-shark-nebula
  19. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
  20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cepheus_(constellation)
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230613.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  30. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230614
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230615.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  38. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  41. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  42. http://www.mtu.edu/