Explanation:
The combined light of the
stars
of the Milky Way are
reflected by this cosmic dust cloud that soars
some 300 light-years above the plane of our Galaxy.
Dubbed the
Angel
Nebula by astronomer Steve Mandel's 13 year old
son, the dusty apparition is part of an expansive complex
of dim and relatively unexplored diffuse nebulae,
traced over
large regions seen toward the North and South
Galactic poles.
Along with the blue tint characteristic of more commonly
observed
reflection nebulae,
the Angel Nebula and other dusty
galactic cirrus
also produce a faint reddish luminescence, as
dust grains convert
the Milky Way's
invisible
ultraviolet radiation to visible red light.
Spanning 3x4 degrees on the sky in the constellation Ursa Major,
this wide-angle, high-resolution image was recorded as part of the
Unexplored
Nebula Project.
