NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Dec 19 2022

The Tadpole Nebula in Gas and Dust

What's causing the commotion in the Tadpole Nebula? Star formation. Dusty emission in the Tadpole Nebula, IC 410, lies about 12,000 light-years away in the northern constellation of the Charioteer (Auriga). The cloud of glowing gas is over 100 light-years across, sculpted by stellar winds and radiation from embedded open star cluster NGC 1893. Formed in the interstellar cloud a mere 4 million years ago, bright newly formed cluster stars are seen all around the star-forming nebula. Notable on the lower-right of the featured image are two relatively dense streamers of material trailing away from the nebula's central regions. Potentially sites of ongoing star formation in IC 410, these cosmic tadpole shapes are about 10 light-years long. The image was processed highlighting the emission from sulfur (red), hydrogen (green), and oxygen (blue) gas – but with the stars digitally removed.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Rescue operation after Thai navy ship sinks off the coast

The HTMS Sukhothai corvette was on patrol in the Gulf of Thailand, 20 miles from the pier at Bangsaphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, when it struck bad weather.

The winds blew seawater onto the warship and knocked out its electrical system.

The Royal Thai Navy sent three frigates - HTMS Ang Thong HTMS Bhumibol HTMS Kraburi - and two helicopters with mobile pumping machines in an effort to remove the water.

But the strong winds made the mission impossible. As more seawater flowed onto the ship, it started to sink.

In the early hours of Monday (UK time) the navy said 75 sailors had been rescued, with ships and helicopters searching for another 31 people still in the water.

Eleven people are currently being treated in hospital.

The navy published photos of a group of people wearing orange vests sitting in a black inflatable raft, with waves swelling around it in the darkness.

Sukhothai was built in the US and had been in use since 1987.

Thailand has been experiencing some extreme weather recently - the country's northern and central parts are seeing their coldest temperatures of the year.

In the far south, there have been storms and floods, prompting warnings for ships to stay ashore.

https://news.sky.com/story/rescue-operation-after-thai-navy-ship-sinks-off-the-coast-12771079

Mario Nawfal

The Great Covid Debate w/ Notable Guests - The Roundtable

Today at 9:00 AM

https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1604279302526275585

>>17981251

11:09 ET 8:09 AM PT

Honoring the 50th Anniversary of NASA's Apollo 17 Moon Mission

On Dec. 7, 1972, NASA astronauts Harrison Schmitt, Eugene Cernan, and Ronald Evans lifted off on Apollo 17—the final mission of the Apollo program. Cernan and Schmitt landed on the Moon on Dec. 11, spending three days on the lunar surface before rejoining Evans in orbit and returning to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 19.

Apollo 17 was the most recent mission to land humans on the Moon—and our next one isn't far away. As our Artemis missions prepare to return humans to the Moon and build a sustainable lunar presence, join us for a look back at Apollo 17.

https://youtu.be/MvVxtFyTE0M

>>17981257

They're going through the drops If anyone wants to listen in

https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1604874177256857601

https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1ypKddMwoarKW/peek

>>17981565

Happy birthday.

Live it up, anon.