Starship Asterisk*

The Iris Nebula in a Field of Dust

Explanation: These cosmic dust clouds drift some 1,300 light-years away along the fertile starfields of the constellation Cepheus. The beautiful Iris Nebula, also known as NGC 7023, blossoms at the upper left. Not the only nebula in the sky to evoke the imagery of flowers, its pretty, symmetric form spans about 6 light-years. This nebula's dominant blue color is characteristic of the pervasive dust grains reflecting light from a nearby hot, bluish star. But darker, obscuring dust clouds cover most of the nearly 4 degree wide field of view. At the right is the LDN 1147/1158 complex of Lynds Dark Nebulae. Stars are forming there, still hidden within the dark cloud cores. A search through the sharp image can identify Herbig-Haro objects though, jets of shocked glowing gas emanating from recently formed stars.

<< Previous APOD

This Day in APOD

Next APOD >>

Interstellar filth, including gold from merging neutron stars ... like the gold in my wedding ring!

Like a lonely little petunia; er Iris; in a dusty patch!

heehaw wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 8:09 am Interstellar filth, including gold from merging neutron stars ... like the gold in my wedding ring!

And the Iris Nebula itself is the sparkling sapphire in your ring (or in your wife's ring)!

But sapphires, unlike gold, aren't made in space, I think. Then again, the Earth is certainly a part of the Universe, so...

Ann

Well,
when I saw the word "Iris", I was thinking of part of an eye.

[heehaw], as was sung in the musical "Paint your Wagon",
"The best things in life are dirty!"

[Orin],
I haven't heard that song in a looooonnnnnnggg time!
(It was sung occasionally on "Captain Kangaroo")

Ann wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 12:30 pm

heehaw wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 8:09 am
Interstellar filth, including gold from merging neutron stars
... like the gold in my wedding ring!

And the Iris Nebula itself is the sparkling sapphire in your ring (or in your wife's ring)!

But sapphires, unlike gold, aren't made in space, I think.

Han Solo: 3PO, you tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth,

• he'll get no such pleasure from us...right

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2coQp_6TCTI

Nice comparison! The iris nebula does have a pretty fair resemblance to a nicely-illuminated star sapphire.

This is what I see in the Iris Nebula! 8-)Flower picture from Wiki!

neufer wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 3:31 pm

Star sapphire: birthstone of September.

---

Ann wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 12:30 pm

heehaw wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 8:09 am
Interstellar filth, including gold from merging neutron stars
... like the gold in my wedding ring!

And the Iris Nebula itself is the sparkling sapphire in your ring (or in your wife's ring)!

But sapphires, unlike gold, aren't made in space, I think.

Han Solo: 3PO, you tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth,

• he'll get no such pleasure from us...right

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2coQp_6TCTI

Wow. You blew me away with the star sapphire, Art.

Ann

Ann wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:12 pm
Wow. You blew me away with the star sapphire, Art.

Floating ghost clouds playing "Starball"....

:---[===] *

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:02 pm IRISNebulaSurroundingsNGC7023_1100.jpg1280px-Iris_latifolia-Lac_Aule-Laruns-2522~2013_07_29.JPGThis is what I see in the Iris Nebula! 8-)Flower picture from Wiki!

Also a persuasive comparison!