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 17
      [2]A starfield surrounds the edges of a large nebula. The nebula,
       itself full of stars, has a blue glowing interior and an orange
   periphery dotted with dust pillars. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                             W5: The Soul Nebula
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Jeffrey Horne

   Explanation: Stars are forming in the Soul of the Queen of [4]Aethopia.
   More specifically, a large star forming region called the [5]Soul
   Nebula can be found in the direction of the [6]constellation
   Cassiopeia, whom Greek mythology credits as the [7]vain wife of a King
   who long ago ruled [8]lands surrounding the [9]upper Nile river. Also
   known as Westerhout 5 (W5), the [10]Soul Nebula houses several open
   [11]clusters of stars, ridges and [12]pillars darkened by cosmic
   [13]dust, and huge evacuated bubbles formed by the winds of young
   massive [14]stars. Located about 6,500 light years away, the [15]Soul
   Nebula spans about 100 [16]light years and is usually [17]imaged next
   to its celestial [18]neighbor the [19]Heart Nebula (IC 1805). The
   [20]featured image, taken from near Nashville, Tennessee, USA, is a
   composite of 234 hours of exposures made in different colors: red as
   emitted by [21]hydrogen gas, yellow as emitted by [22]sulfur, and blue
   as emitted by [23]oxygen.

               Explore the Universe: [24]Random APOD Generator
                Tomorrow's picture: Jupiter and the Geminids
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    Authors & editors: [36]Robert Nemiroff ([37]MTU) & [38]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([39]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [40]Specific rights apply.
            [41]NASA Web Privacy, [42]Accessibility, [43]Notices;
                A service of: [44]ASD at [45]NASA / [46]GSFC,
                         [47]NASA Science Activation
                           & [48]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/Soul_Horne_2048.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/jeffreyhorne/
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aethiopia
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Nebula
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopeia_(constellation)
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopeia_(mother_of_Andromeda)
   8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia_(mythology)
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_Delta
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151029.html
  11. http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=18009
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221020.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html
  14. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171004.html
  16. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100601.html
  18. https://cats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2-Cat-and-Dogfriendships2.jpg
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220214.html
  20. https://www.instagram.com/p/DRAGw89jbXN/
  21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLuOM9aOWvk
  22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur
  23. https://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/random_apod.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251216.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  31. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  34. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251217
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251218.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  38. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  39. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  44. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  47. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  48. http://www.mtu.edu/