Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]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. 2026 March 17 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. The Tadpoles of IC 410 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Nico Carver Explanation: [5]This telescopic close-up shows off the central regions of otherwise faint emission nebula IC 410, captured under backyard skies. [6]Presented in a Hubble color palette, the image combines visible broadband and narrowband data with data from the near-infrared. Below and right of center are two remarkable inhabitants of the interstellar pond of gas and dust. the Tadpoles of IC 410. Partly obscured by foreground dust, the nebula itself surrounds [7]NGC 1893, a young galactic cluster of stars. Formed in the interstellar cloud a mere 4 million years ago, the [8]intensely hot, bright cluster stars energize the glowing gas. But the cosmic tadpoles themselves are composed of denser cooler gas and dust. Around 10 light-years long they are likely sites of ongoing [9]star formation. Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation their heads are outlined by [10]bright ridges of ionized gas while their tails trail away from the cluster's central young stars. [11]IC 410 lies some 10,000 light-years away, toward the [12]nebula-rich constellation Auriga. Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space __________________________________________________________________ [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search | [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss | [23]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell ([27]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply. [29]NASA Web Privacy, [30]Accessibility, [31]Notices; A service of: [32]ASD at [33]NASA / [34]GSFC, [35]NASA Science Activation & [36]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2603/APOD_Sub_Tadpoles_NicoCarver.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.instagram.com/nebulaphotosdotcom 5. https://app.astrobin.com/u/nebulaphotos?i=07is4o 6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okEPUA_k2xQ 7. http://arxiv.org/abs/1207.5632 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070726.html 9. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/science-highlights/exploring-the-birth-of-stars/ 10. https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/embryonic-stars-emerge-from-interstellar-eggs/ 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240202.html 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140213.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260316.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 19. https://apod.com/feed.rss 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 22. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260317 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260318.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 30. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 32. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 33. https://www.nasa.gov/ 34. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 35. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 36. http://www.mtu.edu/