Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Explanation:What does this image look like to you?Many see agiraffefacing right, with neck stretched high and long legs mid-stride.
Thefeatured imageshowsLDN 1295, also called the Giraffe Nebula, in theconstellationof the mythical queen ofAethiopia.
It is an object in the Lynds CatalogueofDark Nebulas, compiled in1962by American astronomer Beverly Lynds, a pioneer for women in astronomy and astrophysics.
Dark nebulasare interstellarclouds of dust and gasthat block the visible light of the starsbehind them.
Thesenebulasare often faint and challenging targets for astrophotographers.
Why do we see animal shapes and faces in nebulas, clouds, and pretty mucheverywhere?
It is due topareidolia, our tendency to look forfamiliar patterns.
Pareidolia may provide animals with anevolutionary advantage, for example in identifying predators.
APOD’s main NASA site ismoving: Fromapod.nasa.govtoscience.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow’s picture:freewheeling