Centered on North Star Polaris [ http://en.wikipedia…], this 4 degree wide field of view [ http://www.galaxyim…] covers part of a complex of relatively unfamiliar [ http://www.galaxyim…], diffuse dust clouds soaring high [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] above the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy. The combined light of the Milky Way stars are reflected by the dusty, galactic cirrus [ http://www.allthesk…], the reflected starlight having the same blue tint characteristic of better known reflection nebulae [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. But this deep color image also records a faint reddish luminescence from the dust grains as they convert invisible stellar ultraviolet radiation to visible red light. Dubbed extended red emission [ http://arxiv.org/ab…], the dim cosmic glow [ http://www.abstract…CKey={40C5CA01-5B21- 4BD8-96EE-FFA99D0BC1 BE}& MKey={E8A7FEA1-C000- 47D0-9D7E-5FC3585613 A9}& AKey={AAF9AABA-B0FF- 4235-8AEC-74F22FC763 86}& SKey={FBA08DFC-D3E8- 47E0-9072-716672B2F9 1E} ] is thought to be caused by complex organic molecules known as PAHs [ http://www.spitzer.…20050627.shtml ] (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), common constituents of interstellar [ http://www-ssg.sr.u…] dust. On planet Earth, PAHs are widely encountered as the sooty products of combustion.
Credit and Copyright:
//antwrp.gsfc.nasa.g ov/apod/lib/ about_apod.html#srap ply”>Copyright: Steve Mandel (Hidden Valley Observatory [ http://www.galaxyim…]) Research Collaboration: Adolf Witt (University of Toledo [ http://astro1.panet…]) et al.
facet_where:
Milky Way Galaxy
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_what:
Earth
facet_what:
POLARIS
facet_what:
nebula
original url:
http://antwrp.gsfc.…
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap080111
Image ID:
107123
Resolution Size:
4
Format:
JPEG
Media Type:
Image
File Name:
PolarisNebula_mandel .jpg
Width:
952
Height:
562

Tags: galaxy, nasa, photo, Polaris Dust Nebula, space, star, Universe

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 at 8:26 am and is filed under Photos, Universe. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.