Subj : Daily APOD Report
To   : All
From : Alan Ianson
Date : Thu Aug 29 2024 00:41:16

                        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.

                               2024 August 29

                           Star Factory Messier 17
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Gaetan Maxant

   Explanation: A nearby star factory known as Messier 17 lies some 5,500
   light-years away in the nebula-rich constellation Sagittarius. At that
   distance, this 1.5 degree wide field-of-view would span about 150
   light-years. In the sharp color composite image faint details of the
   region's gas and dust clouds are highlighted with narrowband image data
   against a backdrop of central Milky Way stars. The stellar winds and
   energetic radiation from hot, massive stars already formed from M17's
   stock of cosmic gas and dust have slowly carved away at the remaining
   interstellar material, producing the nebula's cavernous appearance and
   the undulating shapes within. A popular stop on telescopic tours of the
   cosmos, M17 is also known as the Omega or the Swan Nebula.

                   Tomorrow's picture: southern moonscape
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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