                        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.

                              2026 February 27

                   Sharpless 249 and the Jellyfish Nebula
                 Image Credit & Copyright: Katelyn Beecroft

   Explanation: Normally faint and elusive, the Jellyfish Nebula is caught
   in this alluring telescopic field of view. Floating in the interstellar
   sea, the nebula is anchored right and left by two bright stars, Mu and
   Eta Geminorum, at the foot of the 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 supernova remnant IC 443, the expanding debris cloud from
   a massive star that exploded. Light from the explosion first reached
   planet Earth over 30,000 years ago. Like its cousin in astrophysical
   waters the Crab Nebula supernova remnant, the Jellyfish Nebula is known
   to harbor a neutron star, the ultradense remnant of the collapsed
   stellar core. An emission nebula cataloged as 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: light-weekend
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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