October 24, 1996
On the day you were born, the universe was already ancient beyond measure — and yet, in all those billions of years, it had never once...
Starbirth in the Lagoon Nebula Credit and Copyright:
Birthday · October 24, 1996
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published October 24, 1996. Full image credits are on the original APOD entry below. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
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Starbirth in the Lagoon Nebula Credit and Copyright:
Original APOD · October 24, 1996 ↗Stars are forming even today in the Lagoon Nebula. This bright nebula is visible in the constellation of Sagittarius with binoculars. The above photo is the result of a new sensitive camera being attached to one of the world's largest telescopes. Curtains of collapsing hydrogen are shown above in green, highlighted by a special filter that isolates light from this specific atom. Many young stars are evident in the open cluster M8 in the Lagoon, the result of previously collapsed gas clouds. Many of the stars appear red because of the high amount of dust in the Lagoon Nebula. Red light penetrates dust clouds best, although enough dust will block all visible light and leave a dark nebula.