Posted on Oct 7, 2020

APOD: 2020 October 7 - Ou4: A Giant Squid in a Flying Bat

Maj William W. 'Bill' Price

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Good morning, Rallypoint. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is titled "Ou4: A Giant Squid in a Flying Bat." Discovered in 2011 some 2,300 light years away towards the constellation Cepheus, the Squid Nebula's alluring bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue-green emission from a triple system of hot, massive stars seen near the center of the nebula. The surrounding red is ionized hydrogen. The blue-green is oxygen. If recent studies are correct, the Bat (Ou4) truly lies within the Squid (Sh2-129). That would mean the entire complex is driven by the triple star in the center, and that it is over 50 light years across.

APOD: 2020 October 7 - Ou4: A Giant Squid in a Flying Bat

Posted from apod.nasa.gov

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LTC Stephen F.

Posted 4 y ago

Squid Nebula - Ricochet

Filmed, Directed and Edited by Lewis Robert. Ricochet is the first single off of Squid Nebula's debut EP, released May 2018. Listen to and/or purchase it her...

Thank you my friend Maj William W. 'Bill' Price for posting the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) for Wednesday, October 7, 2020 entitled "Ou4: A Giant Squid in a Flying Bat."

Sounds like a line from Batman and Robin from the 1960's show.

Image: Ou4 - A Giant Squid in a Flying Bat - Image Credit & Copyright - Yannick Akar

APOD Background
"Explanation: A very faint but very large squid-like nebula is visible in planet Earth's sky -- but inside a still larger bat. The Giant Squid Nebula cataloged as Ou4, and Sh2-129 also known as the Flying Bat Nebula, are both caught in this cosmic scene toward the royal royal constellation Cepheus. Composed with 55 hours of narrowband image data, the telescopic field of view is 3 degrees or 6 Full Moons across. Discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula's alluring bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue-green emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. Though apparently completely surrounded by the reddish hydrogen emission region Sh2-129, the true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, a more recent investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, Ou4 would represent a spectacular outflow driven by HR8119, a triple system of hot, massive stars seen near the center of the nebula. The truly giant Squid Nebula would physically be nearly 50 light-years across."

Squid Nebula - Ricochet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P27o1qIt9c

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LTC Stephen F.

4 y

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