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                        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.

                               2025 December 9
    A starfield is shown with a brown and gold tinted dust structures in
   front of a glowing blue gas background. Please see the explanation for
                         more detailed information.

                        The Heart of the Soul Nebula
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Nicola Bugin

   Explanation: This cosmic close-up looks deep inside the Soul Nebula.
   The dark and brooding dust clouds 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 the
   Milky Way, seen in planet Earth's skies toward the constellation of the
   Queen of Aethiopia (Cassiopeia). An example of triggered star
   formation, the dense star-forming clouds of IC 1871 are themselves
   sculpted by the intense winds and radiation of the region's massive
   young stars. This color image adopts a palette made popular in Hubble
   images of star-forming regions.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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