by Ann » Mon Jun 27, 2011 7:04 am
This is a lovely image of a beautiful part of the sky, a low-mass (or medium-mass) star formation region. We can so clearly see the full extent of the dust cloud that has given rise to the star formation. Most of the dust is thin, and we can see stars right through it much of it, although the stars behind the dust are reddened by the brownish dust. It is probably only in the one part of the cloud where new stars are currently forming that the cloud is thick enough that we may see some future star formation.
One thing I find fascinating is that the dust cloud is so limited in extent, and that some parts of this skyscape seem completely "clear". The distant globular, fascinatingly, narrowly escapes the dusty "front" of the cloud and shines down on us unobscured.
I actually think that a picture like this calls for a cosmic "meteorologist"!
Hey, Mister Weatherman, what strong winds and pressure gradients can you see in today's APOD?
Ann
This is a lovely image of a beautiful part of the sky, a low-mass (or medium-mass) star formation region. We can so clearly see the full extent of the dust cloud that has given rise to the star formation. Most of the dust is thin, and we can see stars right through it much of it, although the stars behind the dust are reddened by the brownish dust. It is probably only in the one part of the cloud where new stars are currently forming that the cloud is thick enough that we may see some future star formation.
One thing I find fascinating is that the dust cloud is so limited in extent, and that some parts of this skyscape seem completely "clear". The distant globular, fascinatingly, narrowly escapes the dusty "front" of the cloud and shines down on us unobscured.
I actually think that a picture like this calls for a cosmic "meteorologist"!
[img]http://www.ucar.edu/communications/quarterly/fall96/weatherman.gif[/img]
Hey, Mister Weatherman, what strong winds and pressure gradients can you see in today's APOD?
Ann