August 10, 1997
On the day you were born, the universe did what it has always done best: transformed chaos into beauty.
Nebulosity in Sagittarius
Birthday · August 10, 1997
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APOD published August 10, 1997. Credit: D. Malin (AAO), AATB. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
What causes the colors in this beautiful nebulosity in Sagittarius? Dubbed NGC 6589 and NGC 6590, the colors of this nebulosity, are caused by gas and dust. The blue color of the nebula nearest the bright stars is caused by reflection off interstellar dust. The dust emits little visible light of its own - in the absence of a nearby star the dust would appear dark, blocking light from background stars. The red color of the nebula farthest from the bright stars is caused by glowing hydrogen gas. Energetic light from the central stars ionizes hydrogen gas - which glows red when recombining with a local electron.
Image credit: D. Malin (AAO), AATB