Subj : Daily APOD Report
To   : All
From : Alan Ianson
Date : Wed Dec 07 2022 00:04:00

                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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.

                               2022 December 7

                         NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula
                  Image Credit & Copyright: Tommaso Stella

   Explanation: A mere seven hundred light years from Earth, toward the
   constellation Aquarius, a sun-like star is dying. The dying star's last
   few thousand years have produced the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), a well
   studied and nearby example of a Planetary Nebula, typical of this final
   phase of stellar evolution. Combining narrow band image data from
   emission lines of hydrogen atoms in red and oxygen atoms in blue-green
   hues, it shows tantalizing details of the Helix, including its bright
   inner region about 3 light-years across. The white dot at the Helix's
   center is this Planetary Nebula's hot, central star. A simple looking
   nebula at first glance, the Helix is now understood to have a
   surprisingly complex geometry.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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