Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

IC 443: The Jellyfish Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 26, 2023 is “IC 443: The Jellyfish Nebula,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: David Payne). The original explanation runs about 135 words.

A complex nebula is shown in front of a dense starfield. The nebula appears orange. A bright star is seen just to the right of the nebula. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: David Payne Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Why is this jellyfish swimming in a sea of stars? Drifting near bright star Eta Geminorum , seen at the right, the Jellyfish Nebula extends its tentacles from the bright arcing ridge of emission left of center.”

— APOD editors, December 26, 2023

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
December 26, 2023
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: David Payne
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 135 words

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Topics in this entry

NebulaeSupernovae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: December 26 in other years

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Source

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.