January 4, 2012
When you were born, the Sun rose on a world that had never seen you before. Since then, every dawn has arrived in a universe subtly altered...
Starburst Galaxy IC 10
Birthday · January 4, 2012
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APOD published January 4, 2012. Credit: Dietmar Hager. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Lurking behind dust and stars near the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy, IC 10 is a mere 2.3 million light-years distant. Even though its light is dimmed by intervening dust, the irregular dwarf galaxy still shows off vigorous star-forming regions that shine with a telltale reddish glow in this colorful skyscape. In fact, also a member of the Local Group of galaxies, IC 10 is the closest known starburst galaxy. Compared to other Local Group galaxies, IC 10 has a large population of newly formed stars that are massive and intrinsically very bright, including a luminous X-ray binary star system thought to contain a black hole. Located within the boundaries of the northern constellation Cassiopeia, IC 10 is about 5,000 light-years across. Best Short Astronomy Videos: APOD editor to speak in New York City on Friday, January 6
Image credit: Dietmar Hager