Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2025 June 23
       [2]A star field is shown in infrared light. In the center is an
   extremely complex nebula that is outlines an iconic heart. Glowing gas
   shades the center of the heart red. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                        W5: Pillars of Star Formation
      Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]WISE, [5]IRSA; Processing & Copyright :
                           [6]Francesco Antonucci

   Explanation: How do stars form? Images of the star forming region [7]W5
   like those in the [8]infrared by NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey
   Explorer ([9]WISE, later [10]NEOWISE) satellite provide clear clues
   with indications that massive stars near the center of empty cavities
   are older than stars near the edges. A likely reason for this is that
   the older stars in the center are actually [11]triggering the formation
   of the younger edge stars. The triggered [12]star formation occurs when
   hot outflowing gas compresses cooler gas into [13]knots dense enough to
   gravitationally contract into stars. In the [14]featured
   [15]scientifically colored infrared image, [16]spectacular pillars left
   slowly evaporating from the hot outflowing gas provide further
   [17]visual clues. [18]W5 is also known as [19]Westerhout 5 (W5) and IC
   1848. [20]Together with IC 1805, the nebulas form a complex region of
   star formation popularly dubbed the [21]Heart and [22]Soul Nebulas. The
   [23]featured image highlights a part of W5 spanning about 2,000
   [24]light years that is rich in [25]star forming pillars. W5 lies about
   6,500 light years away toward the [26]constellation of [27]Cassiopeia.

      APOD Turns 30!: [28]Free public lecture in Cork, Ireland tomorrow
                              (Tuesday) at 7 pm
                      Tomorrow's picture: spiral spiral
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    Authors & editors: [40]Robert Nemiroff ([41]MTU) & [42]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([43]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [44]Specific rights apply.
            [45]NASA Web Privacy, [46]Accessibility, [47]Notices;
                A service of: [48]ASD at [49]NASA / [50]GSFC,
                         [51]NASA Science Activation
                           & [52]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2506/ic1848_WISEantonucci_1824.jpg
   3. http://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/wide-field-infrared-survey-explorer-wise/
   5. https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/frontpage/
   6. https://www.astrobin.com/users/FrankAntonucci/
   7. https://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/image/ssc2008-15a1-w5-star-formation-region
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves/
   9. https://www.ipac.caltech.edu/project/wise
  10. https://neowise.ipac.caltech.edu/
  11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W13ZYepDBvo
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080528.html
  14. http://www.astrobin.com/138050/
  15. http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?t=34169#p236113
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070218.html
  17. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/Escher's_Relativity.jpg
  18. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008ApJ...688.1142K/abstract
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerhout_5
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080914.html
  21. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h45UrpBsCKI
  22. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_music
  23. http://www.astrobin.com/138050/
  24. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070430.html
  26. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation
  27. https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellations/cassiopeia.html
  28. https://corkastronomyclub.com/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-lecture/
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250622.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  35. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  38. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250623
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250624.html
  40. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  41. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  42. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  43. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  44. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  48. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  49. https://www.nasa.gov/
  50. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  51. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  52. http://www.mtu.edu/