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.

                               2023 August 17
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                           A Cosmic Zoo in Cepheus
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Yann Sainty

   Explanation: Sprawling emission nebulae IC 1396 and Sh2-129 mix glowing
   interstellar gas and dark dust clouds in this nearly [5]12 degree wide
   field of view toward the northern constellation [6]Cepheus the King.
   Energized by its central star [7]IC 1396 (left), is hundreds of
   light-years across and some 3,000 light-years distant. The nebula's
   intriguing dark shapes include a winding dark cloud popularly known as
   the [8]Elephant's Trunk below and right of center. Tens of light-years
   long, it holds the raw material for star formation and is known to hide
   [9]protostars within. Located a similar distance from planet Earth, the
   bright knots and swept back ridges of emission of Sh2-129 on the right
   suggest its popular name, the [10]Flying Bat Nebula. Within the Flying
   Bat, the most recently recognized addition to this royal cosmic zoo is
   the faint bluish emission from Ou4, the [11]Giant Squid Nebula. Near
   the lower right edge of the frame, the suggestive dark marking on the
   sky cataloged as Barnard 150 is also known as the [12]dark Seahorse
   Nebula.

        Notable submissions to APOD: [13]Perseids Meteor Shower 2023
                     Tomorrow's picture: northern Pluto
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    Authors & editors: [25]Robert Nemiroff ([26]MTU) & [27]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([28]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [29]Specific rights apply.
              [30]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC
                         [34]NASA Science Activation
                           & [35]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2308/ElephantTrunkBatSquidSeahorse.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.astrobin.com/users/yann_sainty/
   5. https://www.astrobin.com/g6612z/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cepheus_(constellation)
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120805.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190816.html
   9. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/multi-wavelength-views-of-protostars-in-ic-1396
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201007.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140718.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230420.html
  13. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.278469731548278&type=3
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230816.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  18. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  23. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230817
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230818.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  28. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  34. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  35. http://www.mtu.edu/