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.

                               2024 August 28
   [2]A picture of a starfield with red emission nebulae is shown. Toward
   the right is a point of light that is Cygnus X-1, a nearby black hole.
   Above the black hole is a blue-shaded bow shock wave in the surrounding
       gas. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                   Tulip Nebula and Black Hole Cygnus X-1
                Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Anirudh Shastry

   Explanation: When can you see a black hole, a tulip, and a swan all at
   once? At night -- if the timing is right, and if your telescope is
   pointed in the [4]right direction. The complex and beautiful [5]Tulip
   Nebula blossoms about 8,000 [6]light-years away toward the
   [7]constellation of Cygnus the Swan. [8]Ultraviolet radiation from
   young energetic stars at the edge of the Cygnus [9]OB3 association,
   including [10]O star HDE 227018, ionizes the atoms and powers the
   emission from the Tulip Nebula. [11]Stewart Sharpless cataloged this
   nearly 70 light-years across reddish glowing cloud of interstellar gas
   and dust in [12]1959, as [13]Sh2-101. Also in the [14]featured field of
   view is the black hole [15]Cygnus X-1, which to be a [16]microquasar
   because it is one of strongest [17]X-ray sources in planet Earth's sky.
   Blasted by powerful jets from a [18]lurking black hole, its fainter
   bluish curved [19]shock front is only faintly visible [20]beyond the
   cosmic Tulip's petals, near the right side of the frame.

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    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply.
            [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices;
                A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC,
                         [44]NASA Science Activation
                           & [45]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2408/Tulip_Shastry_6144.jpg
   3. https://www.astrobin.com/users/ashastry/
   4. https://skywiseunlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/scoper_05.jpg
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh_2-101
   6. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_(constellation)
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves/
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_kinematics#OB_associations
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070726.html
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_Sharpless
  12. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1959ApJS....4..257S/abstract
  13. http://galaxymap.org/cat/list/sharpless/101
  14. https://www.astrobin.com/3y9228/
  15. http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2011/cygx1/
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microquasar
  17. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/11_xrays/
  18. https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/resources/2259/devoured-by-gravity-poster/?galaxy_horror
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_wave
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090608.html
  21. https://science.nasa.gov/learners/back-to-school
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240827.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240828
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240829.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  45. http://www.mtu.edu/