August 5, 2006
The same forces that sculpt nebulae and spin galaxies into existence were at work the day you were born.
Still Life with NGC 2170
Birthday · August 5, 2006
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published August 5, 2006. Credit: Stefan Seip. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
In this beautiful celestial still life composed with a cosmic brush, dusty nebula NGC 2170 shines at the upper left. Reflecting the light of nearby hot stars, NGC 2170 is joined by other bluish reflection nebulae and a compact red emission region against a backdrop of stars. Like the common household items still life painters often choose for their subjects, the clouds of gas, dust, and hot stars pictured here are also commonly found in this setting - a massive, star-forming molecular cloud in the constellation Monoceros. The giant molecular cloud, Mon R2, is impressively close, estimated to be only 2,400 light-years or so away. At that distance, this canvas would be about 15 light-years across.
Image credit: Stefan Seip