Subj : Daily APOD Report
To   : All
From : Alan Ianson
Date : Thu Feb 16 2023 00:26:36

                        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.

                              2023 February 16

                        The Hydra Cluster of Galaxies
        Image Credit & Copyright: Marco Lorenzi, Angus Lau, Tommy Tse
                Text: ChatGPT (apologies to Edgar Allen Poe)

                                Explanation:

        Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
                O'er volumes of astronomy and forgotten lore,
              I stumbled upon this snapshot, cosmic and eerie,
               A sight that filled my heart with awe and more.

             Two stars, like sentinels, anchored the foreground,
                 Of our Milky Way galaxy, a sight to behold,
              Beyond them, a cluster of Hydra, galaxies abound,
              100 million light-years away, a story to be told.

            Three large galaxies, ellipticals and a spiral blue,
             Dominant and grand, each 150,000 light-years wide,
            But it was the overlapping pair that caught my view,
                Cataloged as NGC 3314, a sight I cannot hide.

                Abell 1060, the Hydra galaxy cluster's name,
         One of three large galaxy clusters close to our Milky Way,
               A universe bound by gravity, a celestial game,
           Where clusters align over larger scales, I cannot sway.

       At a distance of 100 million light-years, this snapshot's size,
              1.3 million light-years across, a cosmic delight,
               A momentary glimpse into the universe's guise,
            But even this shall fade, and be nevermore in sight.

                    Tomorrow's picture: formerly 2023 CX1
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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