Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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.

                               2025 December 9
   [2]A starfield is shown with a brown and gold tinted dust structures in
   front of a glowing blue gas background. Please see the explanation for
                         more detailed information.

                        The Heart of the Soul Nebula
                  Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Nicola Bugin

   Explanation: [4]This cosmic close-up looks deep inside the Soul Nebula.
   The dark and brooding dust clouds outlined by bright ridges of glowing
   gas are cataloged as IC 1871. About 25 [5]light-years across, the
   telescopic field of view spans only a small part of the much larger
   [6]Heart and Soul nebulae. At an estimated distance of 6,500
   light-years, the star-forming complex lies within the Perseus spiral
   arm of the [7]Milky Way, seen in planet Earth's skies toward the
   [8]constellation of the Queen of [9]Aethiopia ([10]Cassiopeia). An
   example of [11]triggered star formation, the dense star-forming clouds
   of IC 1871 are [12]themselves sculpted by the intense [13]winds and
   [14]radiation of the region's massive young stars. This color image
   adopts a [15]palette made popular in Hubble images of star-forming
   regions.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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    Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & [29]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([30]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [31]Specific rights apply.
            [32]NASA Web Privacy, [33]Accessibility, [34]Notices;
                A service of: [35]ASD at [36]NASA / [37]GSFC,
                         [38]NASA Science Activation
                           & [39]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/Soul_Bugin_3710.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/a_look_through_the_sky
   4. https://www.instagram.com/p/DRFyxyoiHLc/
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/what-is-a-light-year/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230214.html
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080606.html
   8. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aethiopia
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopeia_(constellation)
  11. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1e/The_W5_Stellar_Blast_Furnace.ogv/The_W5_Stellar_Blast_Furnace.ogv.360p.webm
  12. https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2017-01/30/11/asset/buzzfeed-prod-fastlane-01/sub-buzz-15096-1485793040-1.png?downsize=700:*&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto
  13. https://esahubble.org/wordbank/stellar-wind/
  14. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves/
  15. https://delsaert.com/deep-sky/nebulae/h-alpha/
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251208.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  20. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  22. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  25. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251209
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251210.html
  27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  30. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  35. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  38. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  39. http://www.mtu.edu/