Astronomy Picture of the Day · October 18, 2008

Sharpless 171

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 18, 2008 is “Sharpless 171,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Credit & Copyright: Antonio Fernandez). The original explanation runs about 106 words.

From the explanation

“Cosmic pillars of cold molecular gas and clouds of dark dust lie within Sharpless 171, a star-forming region some 3,000 light-years away in the royal constellation Cepheus . This tantalizing false-color skyscape spans about 20 light-years across the nebula’s bright central region.”

— APOD editors, October 18, 2008

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: October 18, 2008
Type: Image
Credit: Credit & Copyright: Antonio Fernandez
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 106 words

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Topics in this entry

Nebulae

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On this day: October 18 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, October 18, 2008 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2008-october-18-sharpless-171

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.