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.

                              2020 November 10

                    The Central Soul Nebula Without Stars
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Jason Guenzel

   Explanation: This cosmic close-up looks deep inside the Soul Nebula.
   The dark and brooding dust clouds near the top, outlined by bright
   ridges of glowing gas, are cataloged as IC 1871. About 25 light-years
   across, the telescopic field of view spans only a small part of the
   much larger Heart and Soul nebulae. At an estimated distance of 6,500
   light-years the star-forming complex lies within the Perseus spiral arm
   of our Milky Way Galaxy, seen in planet Earth's skies toward the
   constellation Cassiopeia. An example of triggered star formation, the
   dense star-forming clouds in the Soul Nebula are themselves sculpted by
   the intense winds and radiation of the region's massive young stars. In
   the featured image, stars have been digitally removed to highlight the
   commotion in the gas and dust.

               Tomorrow's picture: a moon of a different color
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
                NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

--- hpt/lnx 1.9.0