Subj : Daily APOD Report
To   : All
From : Alan Ianson
Date : Wed Dec 06 2023 04:28:14

                        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 December 6
    Brown dust pillars in the Carina Nebula are shown. Many appear like a
      torch since their ends are lit up with starlight. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                   Stars Versus Dust in the Carina Nebula
     Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA); Processing:
                      Franco Meconi (Terraza al Cosmos)

   Explanation: It's stars versus dust in the Carina Nebula and the stars
   are winning. More precisely, the energetic light and winds from massive
   newly formed stars are evaporating and dispersing the dusty stellar
   nurseries in which they formed. Located in the Carina Nebula and inside
   a region known informally as Mystic Mountain, these pillars' appearance
   is dominated by opaque brown dust even though it is composed mostly of
   clear hydrogen gas. Even though some of the dust pillars look like
   torches, their ends are not on fire -- rather, they are illuminated by
   nearby stars. About 7,500 light-years distant, the featured image was
   taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and highlights an interior region
   of Carina known as HH1066 which spans nearly a light year. Within a few
   million years, the stars will likely win out completely and the dust
   torches will completely evaporate.

              Tomorrow's picture: Orion and the Ocean of Storms
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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