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 18
   [2]A starfield is shown filled with red glowing gas. On the right is a
       blue-glowing complex nebula, while on the left there is a long
   encircling arc of red gas. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                               Orion's Cradle
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Piotr Czerski

   Explanation: Cradled in red-glowing hydrogen gas, stars are being born
   in Orion. These [4]stellar nurseries lie at the edge of the giant
   [5]Orion molecular cloud complex, some 1,500 [6]light-years away.
   [7]This detailed view spans about 12 [8]degrees across the center of
   the well-known constellation, with the [9]Great Orion Nebula, the
   closest large [10]star-forming region, visible toward the lower right.
   The deep mosaic also includes, near the top center, the [11]Flame
   Nebula and the [12]Horsehead Nebula. Image data acquired with a
   [13]hydrogen-alpha filter adds other remarkable features to this
   wide-angle cosmic vista: pervasive tendrils of energized atomic
   hydrogen gas and portions of the surrounding [14]Barnard's Loop. While
   the [15]Orion Nebula and many [16]stars in Orion are easy to see with
   the unaided eye, emission from the extensive [17]interstellar gas is
   faint and much [18]harder to record, even in telescopic views of the
   nebula-rich complex.

      Sky Surprise: [19]What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                (after 1995)
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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    Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([34]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [35]Specific rights apply.
            [36]NASA Web Privacy, [37]Accessibility, [38]Notices;
                A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC,
                         [42]NASA Science Activation
                           & [43]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2602/OrionBarnard_Czerski_3000.jpg
   3. https://app.astrobin.com/u/PiotrC#gallery
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/jpl/where-are-stars-made-nasas-spitzer-spies-a-hot-spot/
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_molecular_cloud_complex
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/what-is-a-light-year/
   7. https://app.astrobin.com/u/PiotrC?i=59s59h
   8. https://planetcalc.com/1897/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241104.html
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210412.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251210.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen-alpha
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090224.html
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220111.html
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_medium
  18. https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/4vi9kq/find_a_cat/
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260217.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  26. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  29. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260218
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260219.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  42. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  43. http://www.mtu.edu/