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 November 20
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                          Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka
               Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Aygen Erkaslan

   Explanation: [5]Alnitak, [6]Alnilam, and [7]Mintaka are the bright
   bluish stars from east to west (upper right to lower left) along the
   diagonal in this [8]cosmic vista. Otherwise known as the [9]Belt of
   Orion, these three blue supergiant stars are hotter and much more
   massive than the Sun. They lie from [10]700 to 2,000 light-years away,
   born of Orion's well-studied interstellar clouds. In fact, clouds of
   gas and dust adrift in this region have some surprisingly familiar
   shapes, including the dark [11]Horsehead Nebula and Flame Nebula near
   Alnitak at the upper right. The famous [12]Orion Nebula itself is off
   the right edge of this colorful starfield. The telescopic frame spans
   almost 4 degrees [13]on the sky.

                      Tomorrow's picture: interstellar
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    Authors & editors: [25]Robert Nemiroff ([26]MTU) & [27]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([28]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [29]Specific rights apply.
            [30]NASA Web Privacy, [31]Accessibility, [32]Notices;
                A service of: [33]ASD at [34]NASA / [35]GSFC,
                         [36]NASA Science Activation
                           & [37]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2511/NebularSymphonyOrionsBelt2048.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://app.astrobin.com/u/a.erkaslan#gallery
   5. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/alnitak.html
   6. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/alnilam.html
   7. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/mintaka.html
   8. https://app.astrobin.com/u/a.erkaslan?i=6igdue#gallery
   9. http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/optical.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200919.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250902.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251113.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120119.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251119.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  18. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  20. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  23. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251120
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251121.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  28. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  33. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  36. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  37. http://www.mtu.edu/