Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

W5: The Soul Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 17, 2025 is “W5: The Soul Nebula,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Jeffrey Horne). The original explanation runs about 167 words.

A starfield surrounds the edges of a large nebula. The nebula, itself full of stars, has a blue glowing interior and an orange periphery dotted with dust pillars. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Jeffrey Horne Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Stars are forming in the Soul of the Queen of Aethopia . More specifically, a large star forming region called the Soul Nebula can be found in the direction of the constellation Cassiopeia , whom Greek mythology credits as the vain wife of a King who long ago ruled lands surrounding the upper Nile river.”

— APOD editors, December 17, 2025

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
December 17, 2025
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Jeffrey Horne
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 167 words

All of December 2025 → · 2025 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Nebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: December 17 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

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.