Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

W5: Pillars of Star Formation

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for June 23, 2025 is “W5: Pillars of Star Formation,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit: NASA , WISE , IRSA ; Processing & Copyright : Francesco Antonucci). The original explanation runs about 197 words.

A star field is shown in infrared light. In the center is an extremely complex nebula that is outlines an iconic heart. Glowing gas shades the center of the heart red. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , WISE , IRSA ; Processing & Copyright : Francesco Antonucci Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“How do stars form? Images of the star forming region W5 like those in the infrared by NASA’s Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE , later NEOWISE ) satellite provide clear clues with indications that massive stars near the center of empty cavities are older than stars near the edges.”

— APOD editors, June 23, 2025

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
June 23, 2025
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , WISE , IRSA ; Processing & Copyright : Francesco Antonucci
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 197 words

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Topics in this entry

Nebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: June 23 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.