APOD 2.7

Some planetary nebulas such as this are extraordinarily complicated. When a nebula is formed there is usually a simple shape after the sun dies and then a normal nebula is formed. The common shapes include rings, spheres, helixes, and other rounded figures however clearly this picture is not as simple. The Hubble telescope is going to investigate this strange occurrence and astronomers hope that they will find out the reason for one such as complicated. The current hypothesis is that there was a binary star and this is the result of that explosion. There are no doubt other nebulas as strange and amazing as this.

APOD 2.6

Pictured above is a strange occurrence in the Radio Galaxy Hercules A. No one is sure how a thing such as this can happen however it is suspected to be the cause of a super massive black hole at the center of the object. The physics point towards a black hole and the jets erupt as a cause of the gravity that the huge phenomenon possesses. If something like this were to happen close to Earth there would be catastrophic consequences.

APOD 2.5

The picture above is an image of the Horsehead nebula, located within the constellation Orion. It is a part of a large, dark cloud of molecules. The color derives from the hydrogen gas being ionized by the star Sigma. Dust is seen in all of the picture, surrounding the nebula and all of the stars. Most of the stars are rather young ones but some are very old and humongous. The Horsehead is one of the most recognizable objects in the cosmos and is easily seen by amateur astronomers.

Things to see in the December sky

1.Epsilon Lyrae, a double double
2.Jupiter's moons
3.Cephei
4.M31
5.Andromedae
6. Orionis
7.Polaris
8.M38
9. Draconis
10.Double cluster in Perseus