Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 January 22 [2]A star field is dominated by a red and blue glowing nebula. This nebula appears, to some, to have the shape of North America and so is called the North America Nebula. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. The North America Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Dimitris Valianos Explanation: The [4]North America nebula on the sky can do what the [5]North America continent on Earth cannot -- form stars. Specifically, in analogy to the Earth-confined continent, the bright part that appears as the [6]east coast is actually a hot bed of gas, dust, and newly formed stars known as the [7]Cygnus Wall. The [8]featured image shows the star forming wall [9]lit and eroded by [10]bright young stars and [11]partly hidden by the dark [12]dust they have created. The part of the [13]North America nebula (NGC 7000) shown spans about 50 [14]light years and lies about 1,500 light years away toward the [15]constellation of the Swan ([16]Cygnus). Jigsaw Challenge: [17]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day Tomorrow's picture: little hat, big galaxy __________________________________________________________________ [18]< | [19]Archive | [20]Submissions | [21]Index | [22]Search | [23]Calendar | [24]RSS | [25]Education | [26]About APOD | [27]Discuss | [28]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [29]Robert Nemiroff ([30]MTU) & [31]Jerry Bonnell ([32]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [33]Specific rights apply. [34]NASA Web Privacy, [35]Accessibility, [36]Notices; A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC, [40]NASA Science Activation & [41]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2501/NGC7000_Valianos_3132.jpg 3. https://www.facebook.com/dimitris.valianos.33/ 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America_Nebula 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160224.html 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap161011.html 8. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=8815926978442390&set=a.152943591407482 9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241022.html 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211124.html 11. http://blogs.nvidia.co.kr/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2017/12/닙스4.jpg 12. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/d/Dust+Grain 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090630.html 14. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/ 15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation 16. http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/cyg/index.html 17. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250121.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 24. https://apod.com/feed.rss 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 27. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250122 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250123.html 29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 32. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 34. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 35. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 38. https://www.nasa.gov/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 40. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 41. http://www.mtu.edu/