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Astronomy Picture of the Day - W5: The Soul Nebula
NASA ^ | 17 Dec, 2025 | Image Credit & Copyright: Jeffrey Horne

Posted on 12/17/2025 12:49:28 PM PST by MtnClimber

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


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 12/17/2025 12:49:28 PM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 12/17/2025 12:49:55 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...

Pinging the APOD list

๐Ÿช ๐ŸŒŸ ๐ŸŒŒ ๐Ÿ”


3 posted on 12/17/2025 12:50:32 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

“The Soul Nebula” sounds like a 1970’s R&B group.


4 posted on 12/17/2025 1:08:22 PM PST by fidelis (Ecce Crucem Domini! Fugite partes adversae! Vicit Leo de tribu Juda, Radix David! Alleluia!)
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To: MtnClimber

Sam & Dave


5 posted on 12/17/2025 1:10:19 PM PST by ComputerGuy
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To: MtnClimber

Thanks for the photo. The featured image, taken from near Nashville, Tennessee, USA, is a composite of 234 hours of exposures made in different colors: red as emitted by hydrogen gas, yellow as emitted by sulfur, and blue as emitted by oxygen.


6 posted on 12/17/2025 1:38:18 PM PST by kawhill (And the sea will bring each man new hope as sleep brings dreams of home. C.C.)
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To: MtnClimber

Wow.


7 posted on 12/17/2025 1:51:20 PM PST by No name given ( Anonymous is who youโ€™ll know me as )
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To: MtnClimber

The guy in the top left corner looks like my Uncle Zeke.

We always wondered where he went to.


8 posted on 12/17/2025 1:54:28 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancerโ€ )
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To: blueunicorn6

Looks like you found him.


9 posted on 12/17/2025 1:55:43 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

234 Hrs !?!
.
Almost 10 days of a real bad Flashback,
To say nothing of Uncle Zeke!


10 posted on 12/17/2025 2:22:13 PM PST by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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