APOD: The Tadpoles of IC 410 (2015 Nov 13)

[APOD Robot]

The Tadpoles of IC 410

Explanation: This telescopic close-up shows off the otherwise faint emission nebula IC 410. It also features two remarkable inhabitants of the cosmic pond of gas and dust below and right of center, the tadpoles of IC 410. Partly obscured by foreground dust, the nebula itself surrounds NGC 1893, a young galactic cluster of stars. Formed in the interstellar cloud a mere 4 million years ago, the intensely hot, bright cluster stars energize the glowing gas. Composed of denser cooler gas and dust, the tadpoles are around 10 light-years long and are likely sites of ongoing star formation. Sculpted by winds and radiation from the cluster stars, their heads are outlined by bright ridges of ionized gas while their tails trail away from the cluster's central region. IC 410 lies some 10,000 light-years away, toward the nebula-rich constellation Auriga.

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[neufer]

• • "Modern Family" Haley's 21st Birthday (2014)
  LILY: When I grow up, I want to have kids. Well, first I want a perfect husband. Someone who takes care of me. And then we're going to make a baby. Which is easy. You just put eggs and tadpoles in a glass, and the woman has to drink it. Then the man and the woman kiss and jump on their bed. Then after a year, she pees and a baby comes out.

[RoarinHotvermilion]

If, as the caption states, the tadpoles are 10ly long, how could they have been sculpted by radiation from the cluster stars that are only 4 million years old?

[Ann]

If, as the caption states, the tadpoles are 10ly long, how could they have been sculpted by radiation from the cluster stars that are only 4 million years old?

The fierce wind from the hot young stars could have slammed into the dust clouds perpendicularly.

Ann

[Ann]

As Ron-Astro Pharmacist pointed out yesterday, today is an Odd Day indeed - in fact, it is the last Odd Day of the century! So there should really have been an odd number of objects in today's APOD, like an odd nomber of, say, cosmic Tadpoles. I think I can only see two. But maybe there's a baby tadpole (an odd tadpole?) peeking its head up over the glowing plasma of the emission nebula.

Ann

[heehaw]

Odds bodkins!

[neufer]

If, as the caption states, the tadpoles are 10ly long, how could they have been sculpted by radiation from the cluster stars that are only 4 million years old?

The fierce wind from the hot young stars could have slammed into the dust clouds perpendicularly.

Rather...it is mostly photons slowly pushing gas & dust around as in the "Pillars of Creation":

<<The "Pillars of Creation" are composed of cool molecular hydrogen and dust that are being eroded by photoevaporation from the ultraviolet light of relatively close and hot stars. The leftmost pillar is about four light years in length. The finger-like protrusions at the top of the clouds are larger than our solar system, and are made visible by the shadows of evaporating gaseous globules (EGGs), which shields the gas behind them from intense UV flux.

Photoevaporation denotes the process when a planet is stripped of its atmosphere (or parts of the atmosphere) due to high energy photons and other electromagnetic radiation. If a photon interacts with an atmospheric molecule, the molecule is accelerated and its temperature increased. If sufficient energy is provided, the molecule or atom may reach the escape velocity of the planet and "evaporate" into space. The lower the mass number of the gas, the higher the velocity obtained by interaction with a photon. Thus hydrogen is the gas which is most prone to photoevaporation.>>

[Boomer12k]

Great image...well done!

:---[===] *

[Ann]

I belatedly checked out the links of the caption for this image. I must say... today's APOD is very fine, but Rogelio Bernal Andreo's image of much of Auriga is simply amazing!!!

Ann

[MarkBour]

Thanks for this sumptuous image, showing the two tadpoles. And I can well accept that the astronomer's deductions here are correct, overall, that the tadpole's tails have been made by the flow of gas from the photo pressure of the cluster of hot stars. But then, what do we make of the fact that both tadpole's tails have this "jog to the left" in the middle of them, both about the same size, and both in line with each other?

(1) One thought is that some far more violent event occurred briefly in the history there. (2) Another thought is that there are actually 4 locations that are having outflow and the first two outflows have just reached the point where they are joining up to the beginning of the other two, but I find this an unlikely coincidence. (3) Or maybe there is some amazing feature in space that causes the flow to proceed along a curving path. This third notion seems a bit far-fetched. (4) I guess another possibility is that these are simply the sculpted edge of a shape that was already extensive, so then it would not be anything more than the fact that what I'm seeing as a "jog to the left" is simply a curvature of the edge that would have a simpler explanation.

Looking at that region also gives me a feeling of watching flotsam riding on a gentle current.

[Ron-Astro Pharmacist]

Auriga shares a common star (Nath) with Taurus. I was looking to find what other constellations have a star that sits on a boundary between two constellations. Not having much luck… though there are handy guides to find your way around. I must agree with Ann that Auriga is a fascinating part of the sky but the symmetry in Taurus's Hyades region is a spectacular sight to behold.

Hyades.jpg

[Ann]

Auriga shares a common star (Nath) with Taurus. I was looking to find what other constellations have a star that sits on a boundary between two constellations. Not having much luck… though there are handy guides to find your way around. I must agree with Ann that Auriga is a fascinating part of the sky but the symmetry in Taurus's Hyades region is a spectacular sight to behold.

Hyades.jpg

Click to view full size image

A prime example of a prominent star that has belonged to two constellations is Alpheratz, now Alpha Andromeda(e), formerly Alpha Pegasi. In other words, Alpheratz used to be one of the "cornerstones" of the Great Square of Pegasus.

Now, alas, Andromeda has stolen Alpheratz from Pegasus, so maybe the Great Square is only a Great Triangle these days!

I have to agree with you about the symmetry of Hyades, Ron. I have never noticed the "Z" in Hyades before. It is beautifully obvious in the picture you posted.

Ann

[starsurfer]

I belatedly checked out the links of the caption for this image. I must say... today's APOD is very fine, but Rogelio Bernal Andreo's image of much of Auriga is simply amazing!!!

Ann

I agree that Rogelio produces some impressive widefields. That particular image is also half in Taurus.

[starsurfer]

Shouldn't IC 410 also be called the Tadpole Nebula? Also I think the pairing of IC 410 with IC 405 is one of the most colourful and spectacular pairings of nebulae in the northern sky!

[Ron-Astro Pharmacist]

• • "Modern Family" Haley's 21st Birthday (2014)
  LILY: When I grow up, I want to have kids. Well, first I want a perfect husband. Someone who takes care of me. And then we're going to make a baby. Which is easy. You just put eggs and tadpoles in a glass, and the woman has to drink it. Then the man and the woman kiss and jump on their bed. Then after a year, she pees and a baby comes out.

Maybe they will "officially" rename it after it gestates a while.

[Tszabeau]

The hummingbird in the middle of "that dark area", is a nice touch.