July 18, 1996
The atoms in your body have known many forms: star core, drifting dust, ocean mineral, living cell.
Nebulosity in Sagittarius
Birthday · July 18, 1996
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APOD published July 18, 1996. Credit: Anglo-Australian Telescope Board. 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. In the absence of a nearby star, the gas would neither glow on its own nor absorb much background starlight.
Image credit: Anglo-Australian Telescope Board