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.

                              2026 February 27
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                   Sharpless 249 and the Jellyfish Nebula
              Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Katelyn Beecroft

   Explanation: Normally faint and elusive, the Jellyfish Nebula is caught
   in [5]this alluring telescopic field of view. Floating in the
   interstellar sea, the nebula is anchored right and left by two bright
   stars, [6]Mu and [7]Eta Geminorum, at the foot of the [8]celestial
   twins. The Jellyfish Nebula itself is right of center, seen as a
   brighter arcing ridge of emission with dangling tentacles. In fact,
   this cosmic jellyfish is part of bubble-shaped [9]supernova remnant IC
   443, the expanding debris cloud from a [10]massive star that exploded.
   Light from the explosion first reached planet Earth over 30,000 years
   ago. Like its cousin in [11]astrophysical waters the [12]Crab Nebula
   supernova remnant, the Jellyfish Nebula is [13]known to harbor a
   neutron star, the [14]ultradense remnant of the collapsed stellar core.
   An emission nebula cataloged as [15]Sharpless 249 fills the field at
   the upper left. The Jellyfish Nebula is about 5,000 light-years away.
   At that distance, this image would be about 300 light-years across.

                    Tomorrow's picture: [16]light-weekend
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    Authors & editors: [28]Robert Nemiroff ([29]MTU) & [30]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([31]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [32]Specific rights apply.
            [33]NASA Web Privacy, [34]Accessibility, [35]Notices;
                A service of: [36]ASD at [37]NASA / [38]GSFC,
                         [39]NASA Science Activation
                           & [40]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2602/JellyfishBeecroft_final1_2048.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://app.astrobin.com/u/kates.universe#gallery
   5. https://app.astrobin.com/u/kates.universe?i=tzo0ou#gallery
   6. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/tejat.html
   7. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/propus.html
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/night-sky-network/gemini-constellation/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060602.html
  10. http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_sources/supernovas.html
  11. http://arxiv.org/abs/1002.2198
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180317.html
  13. http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2000/1083/index.html
  14. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13832
  15. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1953ApJ...118..362S/abstract
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260228.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260226.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  21. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  23. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  26. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260227
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260228.html
  28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  31. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  36. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  39. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  40. http://www.mtu.edu/