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 September 10
      [2]A starfield surrounds a large red nebula. The nebula has many
    flowing waves and folds. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                          The Great Lacerta Nebula
         Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Ian Moehring & Kevin Roylance

   Explanation: It is one of the largest nebulas on the sky -- why isn't
   it better known? Roughly the same angular size as the [4]Andromeda
   Galaxy, the Great Lacerta Nebula can be found toward the
   [5]constellation of the Lizard (Lacerta). The [6]emission nebula is
   difficult to see with wide-field binoculars because [7]it is so faint,
   but also usually [8]difficult to see with a large telescope because it
   is so great in angle -- spanning about three [9]degrees. The depth,
   breadth, [10]waves, and beauty of the nebula -- cataloged as
   [11]Sharpless 126 (Sh2-126) -- can best be seen and appreciated with a
   [12]long duration camera exposure. The featured image is one such
   combined exposure -- in this case taken over three nights in August
   through dark skies in [13]Moses Lake, [14]Washington, [15]USA. The
   [16]hydrogen gas in the Great Lacerta Nebula [17]glows red because it
   is excited by light from the bright star [18]10 Lacertae, one of the
   bright blue stars just to the left of the red-glowing nebula's center.
   Most of the stars and nebula are about 1,200 [19]light years distant.

              Jigsaw Universe: [20]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
                       Tomorrow's picture: shadow play
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([35]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [36]Specific rights apply.
            [37]NASA Web Privacy, [38]Accessibility, [39]Notices;
                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC,
                         [43]NASA Science Activation
                           & [44]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2509/GrLacerta_Moehring_5509.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/ianmoe66
   4. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/messier-31/
   5. https://astro4edu.org/resources/diagram/YQ69V022qi60/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emission_nebula
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_distant_astronomical_objects
   8. https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/4vi9kq/find_a_cat/
   9. https://www.geogebra.org/m/atq6mr3a
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/03_behaviors/
  11. https://www.astrobin.com/6egtl5/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200329.html
  13. https://youtu.be/TWA_2KnNjb4
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_(state)
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap161024.html
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen-alpha
  18. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6KLAtMAMknWsqpvmMHna0C
  19. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
  20. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250909.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  27. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  30. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250910
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250911.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  44. http://www.mtu.edu/