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 November 12
    [2]A starfield is shown with a unusual textured nebula in the center
   colored in brown with blue trimmings. Diffuse red nebula appear around
     the edges. In the center is an opaque brown object. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                        NGC 6888: The Crescent Nebula
                    Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Team ARO

   Explanation: How was the Crescent Nebula created? Looking like an
   emerging space [4]cocoon, the Crescent Nebula, visible in the center of
   the [5]featured image, was created by the brightest star in its center.
   A leading progenitor hypothesis has the [6]Crescent Nebula beginning to
   form about 250,000 years ago. At that time, the massive central star
   had evolved to become a [7]Wolf-Rayet star (WR 136), shedding its outer
   envelope in a strong [8]stellar wind, ejecting the equivalent of our
   Sun's mass every 10,000 years. This wind impacted surrounding gas left
   over from a [9]previous phase, compacting it into a series of
   [10]complex shells, and [11]lighting it up. The [12]Crescent Nebula,
   also known as NGC 6888, lies about 4,700 [13]light-years away in the
   [14]constellation of [15]Cygnus. Star [16]WR 136 will probably undergo
   a [17]supernova explosion sometime in the next million years.

              Jigsaw Challenge: [18]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [30]Robert Nemiroff ([31]MTU) & [32]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([33]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [34]Specific rights apply.
            [35]NASA Web Privacy, [36]Accessibility, [37]Notices;
                A service of: [38]ASD at [39]NASA / [40]GSFC,
                         [41]NASA Science Activation
                           & [42]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2411/Ngc6888Hoo_Aro_2466.jpg
   3. https://astroaro.fr/en/team-presentation/
   4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231224.html
   5. https://astroaro.fr/en/en_ngc-6888/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230904.html
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200308.html
   8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_wind
   9. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/astro/redsup.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240107.html
  11. https://delavanlakesvet.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/195/2022/03/smiling-cat-for-web.jpg
  12. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2000AJ....119.2991M/abstract
  13. https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/what-is-a-light-year/
  14. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/en/
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_(constellation)
  16. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/w/wolf-rayet+star
  17. https://youtu.be/wymMn-SmALY
  18. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241111.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  25. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  28. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241112
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241113.html
  30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  32. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  33. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  38. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  41. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  42. http://www.mtu.edu/