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. 2025 August 28 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Galaxies, Stars, and Dust Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Robert Eder Explanation: [5]This well-composed telescopic field of view covers over a Full Moon on the sky toward the high-flying constellation Pegasus. Of course the brighter stars show [6]diffraction spikes, the commonly seen effect of internal [7]supports in reflecting telescopes, and lie well within our own [8]Milky Way galaxy. The faint but pervasive clouds of interstellar dust [9]ride above the galactic plane and dimly reflect the Milky Way's starlight. Known as galactic cirrus or integrated flux nebulae they are associated with the Milky Way's molecular clouds. In fact, the diffuse cloud cataloged as [10]MBM 54, less than a thousand light-years distant, fills the scene. The galaxy seemingly tangled in the dusty cloud is the striking spiral galaxy NGC 7497. It's some 60 million light-years away, though. Seen almost [11]edge-on near the center of the field, NGC 7497's own spiral arms and dust lanes echo the colors of stars and dust in our own [12]Milky Way. Tomorrow's picture: a dark veil __________________________________________________________________ [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search | [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss | [23]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell ([27]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply. [29]NASA Web Privacy, [30]Accessibility, [31]Notices; A service of: [32]ASD at [33]NASA / [34]GSFC, [35]NASA Science Activation & [36]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2508/NGC7497_Robert_Eder.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.astrobin.com/users/Robsi/ 5. https://app.astrobin.com/u/Robsi?i=4du4om#gallery 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010415.html 7. http://www.telescope-optics.net/spider.htm 8. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/gallery/galaxy-location.html 9. https://www.cosmotography.com/images/galactic_cirrus.html 10. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1989ApJ...346..232W 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120526.html 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110520.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250827.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 19. https://apod.com/feed.rss 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 22. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250828 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250829.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 30. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 32. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 33. https://www.nasa.gov/ 34. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 35. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 36. http://www.mtu.edu/