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 September 29
       [2]A famous Pleiades star cluster is shown but showing numerous
     parallel and curved filaments in different colors. The image is in
   several colors of infrared light. A rollover image shows the cluster in
   visible light with its familiar blue light. Please see the explanation
                       for more detailed information.

                             Seven Dusty Sisters
      Image Credit: [3]WISE, [4]IRSA, [5]NASA; Processing & Copyright :
                           [6]Francesco Antonucci

   Explanation: Is this really the famous Pleiades star cluster? Known for
   its [7]iconic blue stars, the [8]Pleiades is shown here in [9]infrared
   light where the surrounding dust outshines the stars. Here, three
   infrared colors have been mapped into visual colors (R=24, G=12, B=4.6
   [10]microns). The base images were taken by NASA's orbiting [11]Wide
   Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft. Cataloged as [12]M45
   and nicknamed the [13]Seven Sisters, the [14]Pleiades star cluster is
   by chance situated in a [15]passing dust cloud. The light and [16]winds
   from the massive Pleiades stars preferentially repel smaller [17]dust
   particles, causing the dust to become stratified into [18]filaments, as
   seen. The featured image spans about 20 [19]light years at the distance
   of [20]the Pleiades, which lies about 450 light years distant toward
   the constellation of the Bull ([21]Taurus).

                   Tomorrow's picture: comet above clouds
     __________________________________________________________________

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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/2409/Pleiades_WiseAntonucci_5000.jpg
   3. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/wide-field-infrared-survey-explorer-wise
   4. http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/Missions/wise.html
   5. https://www.nasa.gov/
   6. https://www.astrobin.com/users/FrankAntonucci/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221205.html
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micrometre
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-field_Infrared_Survey_Explorer
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140225.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades#Origin_of_name
  14. https://arxiv.org/abs/0810.1592
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171114.html
  16. https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/dogs-on-joyrides-16__605.jpg
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120215.html
  19. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
  20. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/M45map.jpg
  21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurus_(constellation)
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240928.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=240929
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240930.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/