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Credit & Copyright: Giorgio Ferrari
Explanation:
Bluish reflection nebulae seem to fill this dusty expanse.
The sharp
telescopic frame
spans over 1 degree on the sky toward
the faint but fanciful constellation
Monoceros,
the Unicorn.
Seen within the Monoceros R1 cloud complex some 2,500 light-years away,
bluish IC 447 is on the left, joined by a long dark filament of dust to
IC 446 at lower right.
Embedded in IC 447 are young, massive blue stars much hotter than
the Sun, whose light is reflected by the cosmic cloud
of star stuff.
Observations reveal that IC 446 also contains a
young
stellar object,
a massive star still in an early stage of evolution.
The dark filament
of dust and molecular gas joining
the two star-forming regions is over 15 light-years long.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Monoceros
Publications with words: Monoceros
See also: