Astronomy Picture of the Day
    


APOD: 2023 February 19 Á Seven Dusty Sisters in Infrared
<< Yesterday 18.02.2023 Tomorrow >>
APOD: 2023 February 19 Á Seven Dusty Sisters in Infrared
Credit & Copyright: NASA, WISE, IRSA, Processing & Copyright : Francesco Antonucci
Explanation: Is this really the famous Pleiades star cluster? Known for its iconic blue stars, the Pleiades is shown here in 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 microns). The base images were taken by NASA's orbiting Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft. Cataloged as M45 and nicknamed the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades star cluster is by chance situated in a passing dust cloud. The light and winds from the massive Pleiades stars preferentially repel smaller dust particles, causing the dust to become stratified into filaments, as seen. The featured image spans about 20 light years at the distance of the Pleiades, which lies about 450 light years distant toward the constellation of the Bull (Taurus).

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 < February 2023  >
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su


12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728




Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

Publications with keywords: pleiades - dust
Publications with words: pleiades - dust
See also:
All publications on this topic >>