Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

The Shape of the Southern Crab

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 24, 2019 is “The Shape of the Southern Crab,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , ESA , STScI. The original explanation runs about 133 words.

The Shape of the Southern Crab
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , STScI Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“The symmetric, multi-legged appearance of the Southern Crab Nebula is certainly distinctive. About 7,000 light-years distant toward the southern sky constellation Centaurus, its glowing nested hourglass shapes are produced by the remarkable symbiotic binary star system at its center.”

— APOD editors, April 24, 2019

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
April 24, 2019
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , ESA , STScI
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 133 words

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Topics in this entry

NebulaeHubble Space Telescope

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: April 24 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.