The Week in Space

September 26 - October 2, 2011

Tadpoles in Space  Located about 12,000 light-years away in the constellation Auriga, the dusty emission nebula IC 410 is a gorgeous site of star birth. The central cluster of young, energetic stars is partially obscured by a patch of dark nebulosity. Intense radiation from the young stars is sculpting the core of the nebula, carving away all but the denser regions of gas and dust. In the upper right of the central nebula, two long streamers are clearly visible. These “tadpoles” are potential sites of new star formation. To obtain this image, astrophotographer Antonio Fernandez acquired more than fourteen hours of exposure data using a high-resolution CCD imager mounted on a 10-inch f/3.6 astrograph. His advanced rooftop observatory, located at his home in Madrid, is capable of being operated remotely.

Image credit: Antonio Fernandez / www.afernandez.net

Weekly Calendar

September 26 - October 2, 2011

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

Monday 26

1848: William Bond discovers Hyperion, moon of Saturn

Tuesday 27

New Moon 7:09 AM ET
Moon at perigee

1814: Daniel Kirkwood born
2007: Dawn spacecraft launched

Wednesday 28

Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset

Mercury in superior conjunction

Thursday 29

1977: Salyut 6 space station launched
1988: STS-26 Discovery launched, first shuttle flight since Challenger disaster
2001: First satellite launch from Alaska
2009: MESSENGER makes its third and final flyby of Mercury

Friday 30

1880: Henry Draper takes first photograph of Orion Nebula
1994: STS-68 Endeavour launched
1995: Daily communication with Pioneer 11 ends
2005: ISS Expedition 12 crew launched

Saturday 1

Astronomy Day (Fall)

Sunday 2

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