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Astronomy Picture of the Day 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. 2004 February 2 The Tarantula Nebula from Spitzer Credit: B. Brandl (Cornell & Leiden) et al., JPL, Caltech, NASA Explanation: In the heart of monstrous Tarantula Nebula lies one of the most unusual star clusters. Known as NGC 2070 or R136, it is home to a great number of hot young stars. The energetic light from these stars continually ionizes nebula gas, while their energetic particle wind blows...

A factory worker found an added ingredient lurking next to his ham roll in his lunch box - a poisonous spider. Jonathon Sanger found the tarantula when he opened his packed lunch made for him by his mother. Mr Sanger, 34, who is not afraid of spiders, told her he was "surprised" to find the venomous spider hiding next to a banana. Customs and Excise spokesman Bob Gaiger said the eight-legged creature was identified as an exotic pink-toed tarantula. It is thought it had been hiding inside a bunch of bananas bought at a Co-op supermarket in Cross Hands, South...

Astronomy Picture of the Day 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. 2003 August 23 The Tarantula Zone Credit: M. Schirmer, T. Erben, M. Lombardi (IAEF Bonn), European Southern Observatory Explanation: The Tarantula Nebula is more than 1,000 light-years across - a giant emission nebula within our neighboring galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud. Inside this cosmic arachnid lies a central young cluster of massive stars, cataloged as R136, whose intense radiation and strong winds have helped energize the nebular glow...

Astronomy Picture of the Day 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. 2003 June 22 Massive Stars of 30 Doradus Credit: J. Trauger (JPL), J. Westphal (Caltech), N. Walborn (STScI), R. Barba' (La Plata Obs.), NASA Explanation: In the center of star-forming region 30 Doradus lies a huge cluster of the largest, hottest, most massive stars known. These stars and part of the surrounding nebula are captured here in this gorgeous visible-light Hubble Space Telescope image. Gas and dust clouds...

Astronomy Picture of the Day 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. 2003 May 3 Denizen of the Tarantula Nebula Credit: Hubble Heritage Team (AURA / STScI/ NASA) Explanation: The star cluster at lower right, cataloged as Hodge 301, is a denizen of the Tarantula Nebula. An evocative nebula in the southern sky, the sprawling cosmic Tarantula is an energetic star forming region some 168,000 light-years distant in our neighboring galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud. The stars within Hodge 301...

Astronomy Picture of the Day 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. 2002 June 13 The Tarantula Zone Credit : M. Schirmer, T. Erben, M. Lombardi (IAEF Bonn), European Southern Observatory Explanation: The Tarantula Nebula is more than 1,000 light-years across - a giant emission nebula within our neighboring galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud. Inside this cosmic arachnid lies a central young cluster of massive stars, cataloged as R136, whose intense radiation and strong winds have helped energize the nebular...