Astronomy Picture of the Day · December 20, 2016

Sharpless 308: Star Bubble

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 20, 2016 is “Sharpless 308: Star Bubble,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Anis Abdul). The original explanation runs about 161 words.

From the explanation

“Blown by fast winds from a hot, massive star, this cosmic bubble is huge. Cataloged as Sharpless 2-308 it lies some 5,200 light-years away toward the constellation of the Big Dog ( Canis Major ) and covers slightly more of the sky than a full moon .”

— APOD editors, December 20, 2016

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: December 20, 2016
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Anis Abdul
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 161 words

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Topics in this entry

Nebulae

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On this day: December 20 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, December 20, 2016 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2016-december-20-sharpless-308-star-bubble

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.