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 May 25
      [2]A starfield with a blue background shows several unusual brown
        globs. They are generally irregularly shaped. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                            Thackeray's Globules
                   Image Credit & Copyright: [3]John Hayes

   Explanation: What are these strange space globs? Situated in [4]rich
   star fields and glowing hydrogen gas, these opaque clouds of
   [5]interstellar dust and gas are so large they might be able to form
   stars. Their home is known as [6]IC 2944, a bright stellar nursery
   located about 7,600 light years away toward the constellation of the
   Centaur ([7]Centaurus). The largest of these [8]dark globules, first
   spotted by [9]A. D. Thackeray in 1950 using a telescope in [10]South
   Africa, is likely two separate but [11]overlapping clouds, each more
   than one [12]light-year wide. Along with other data, the [13]featured
   Hubble palette image from the [14]El Sauce Observatory in Chile,
   indicates that [15]Thackeray's globules are fractured and churning as a
   result of intense [16]ultraviolet radiation from young, hot stars
   already energizing and heating the bright [17]emission nebula. These
   and similar [18]dark globules known to be associated with other
   [19]star forming regions may ultimately be dissipated by their hostile
   environment -- like [20]cosmic lumps of [21]butter in a hot frying pan.

            Interstellar Jigsaw: [22]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
                   Tomorrow's picture: different galaxies
     __________________________________________________________________

      [23]< | [24]Archive | [25]Submissions | [26]Index | [27]Search |
   [28]Calendar | [29]RSS | [30]Education | [31]About APOD | [32]Discuss |
                                    [33]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [38]Specific rights apply.
            [39]NASA Web Privacy, [40]Accessibility, [41]Notices;
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC,
                         [45]NASA Science Activation
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2605/ThackerayGlobs_Hayes_2664.jpg
   3. https://app.astrobin.com/u/jhayes_tucson
   4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170219.html
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html
   6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IC_2944
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaurus
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230129.html
   9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._David_Thackeray
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa
  11. https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/9cxohi/black_cats_are_the_best_these_are_my_2_ladies/#lightbox
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/what-is-a-light-year/
  13. https://app.astrobin.com/u/jhayes_tucson?i=o2g8br
  14. https://youtu.be/shbwtlPIDI4
  15. https://science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble/thackerays-globules-dense-opaque-dust-clouds-in-star-forming-region-ic-2944/
  16. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves/
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bok_globule
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250623.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap980921.html
  21. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmFMN91W2C4
  22. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260524.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260525
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260526.html
  34. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  35. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/
  36. https://inspirehep.net/authors/1073087
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  42. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/astrophysics/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/