{"id":15898,"date":"2018-04-23T08:43:25","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T12:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=15898"},"modified":"2018-04-23T00:55:23","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T04:55:23","slug":"a-multi-colored-blue-horsehead-nebula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=15898","title":{"rendered":"A multi-colored Blue Horsehead Nebula"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASA’s\u00a0Astronomy Picture of the Day<\/a> (APOD) for April 23rd is more painterly than usual:<\/p>\n

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“The Blue Horsehead Nebula in Infrared”.\u00a0Image Credit: WISE, IRSA, NASA; Processing & Copyright : Francesco Antonucci<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Note that processing of an infrared image allows for considerable freedom in how the final rendering appears. In this case, it was rendered with great artistry by Mr. Antonucci.<\/p>\n

From the caption:<\/p>\n

The Blue Horsehead Nebula looks quite different in infrared light. In\u00a0visible light<\/a>, the reflecting\u00a0dust<\/a>\u00a0of the nebula\u00a0appears blue and shaped like a horse’s head<\/a>. In\u00a0infrared light<\/a>, however, a complex labyrinth of filaments, caverns, and cocoons of glowing dust and gas emerges, making it hard to even\u00a0identify the equine icon<\/a>. The featured image of the nebula was created in three infrared colors (R=22, G=12, B=4.6\u00a0micron<\/a>s) from data taken by NASA’s orbiting\u00a0Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer<\/a>\u00a0(WISE) spacecraft.\u00a0The nebula<\/a>\u00a0is cataloged as\u00a0IC 4592<\/a>\u00a0and spans about 40 light years, lying about 400 light years away toward the constellation\u00a0Scorpius<\/a>\u00a0along the plane of our\u00a0Milky Way<\/a> Galaxy.\u00a0IC 4592<\/a>\u00a0is fainter but covers an angularly greater region than the better known\u00a0Horsehead Nebula<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Orion<\/a>. The star that predominantly illuminates and heats the dust is\u00a0Nu Scorpii<\/a>, visible as the yellow star left of center.<\/em><\/p>\n

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