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 February 11
   [2]A star field has a red diffuse glow on the right-hand side. Distinct
     nebulas appear in the center and on the lower left. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                           The Spider and the Fly
                Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Dave Boddington

   Explanation: Will the spider ever catch the fly? Not if both are large
   emission nebulas toward the constellation of the Charioteer
   ([4]Auriga). The [5]spider-shaped gas cloud in the image center is
   actually an emission nebula labelled [6]IC 417, while the smaller
   fly-shaped cloud on the left is dubbed [7]NGC 1931 and is both an
   emission nebula and a reflection nebula. About 10,000 [8]light-years
   distant, both nebulas harbor young star clusters. For scale, the more
   compact [9]NGC 1931 (Fly) is about 10 light-years across. The
   [10]featured deep [11]image, captured over 20 hours during late January
   in [12]Berkshire [13]UK, also shows more diffuse and red-glowing
   interstellar gas and dust.

              Explore Your Universe: [14]Random APOD Generator
                   Tomorrow's picture: asteroid revolution
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    Authors & editors: [26]Robert Nemiroff ([27]MTU) & [28]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([29]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [30]Specific rights apply.
            [31]NASA Web Privacy, [32]Accessibility, [33]Notices;
                A service of: [34]ASD at [35]NASA / [36]GSFC,
                         [37]NASA Science Activation
                           & [38]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2502/SpiderFly_Boddington_4788.jpg
   3. https://www.flickr.com/photos/158660766@N05/
   4. http://hawastsoc.org/deepsky/aur/index.html
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spider_and_the_Fly_(poem)#Text
   6. https://noirlab.edu/public/images/noao-ic417/
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_1931
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/what-is-a-light-year/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151201.html
  10. https://www.flickr.com/photos/158660766@N05/54291858602/in/pool-apods/
  11. https://www.astrobin.com/5f29e1/
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkshire
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/random_apod.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250210.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  19. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  21. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  24. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250211
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250212.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  29. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  34. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  37. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  38. http://www.mtu.edu/