November 10, 2020
The constellations may be old, but the person celebrating beneath them is gloriously new by cosmic standards.
The Central Soul Nebula Without Stars
Birthday · November 10, 2020
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APOD published November 10, 2020. Credit: Jason Guenzel. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
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.
Image credit: Jason Guenzel