October 1, 1995
The elements that make you — the calcium in your bones, the oxygen in your lungs — were scattered across space by dying stars long before...
Central Galactic Star Bursts
Birthday · October 1, 1995
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APOD published October 1, 1995. Full image credits are on the original APOD entry below. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
The pictured core of the galaxy NGC 253 shows an exceptionally high rate of star formation. In the center are some of the densest knots of stars ever found, surrounded by glowing gas and dust lanes. Galaxies where such high star formation rates are seen are called "starburst" galaxies. The unusual color is a combination of the light emitted from the young, hot, blue stars and their associated emission and reflection nebulae.