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 September 19 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. The NGC 6914 Complex Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Tommy Lease Explanation: A study in contrasts, [5]this colorful cosmic skyscape features [6]stars, dust, and glowing gas in the vicinity of NGC 6914. The [7]interstellar complex of nebulae lies some 6,000 light-years away, toward the high-flying northern constellation [8]Cygnus and the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy. Obscuring interstellar dust clouds appear in silhouette while reddish hydrogen [9]emission nebulae, along with the dusty blue [10]reflection nebulae, fill the cosmic canvas. Ultraviolet radiation from the massive, hot, young stars of the extensive [11]Cygnus OB2 association ionize the region's atomic [12]hydrogen gas, producing the characteristic red glow as protons and electrons recombine. Embedded Cygnus OB2 stars also provide the blue starlight strongly reflected by the dust clouds. The over one degree wide telescopic field of view spans about 100 light-years at the estimated distance of NGC 6914. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend __________________________________________________________________ [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search | [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss | [23]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell ([27]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply. [29]NASA Web Privacy, [30]Accessibility, [31]Notices; A service of: [32]ASD at [33]NASA / [34]GSFC, [35]NASA Science Activation & [36]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2509/NGC6914_2048.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.instagram.com/colorado_astro/ 5. https://www.instagram.com/colorado_astro/p/DOqovC8kZC4/ 6. https://www.nasa.gov/missions/roman-space-telescope/how-nasas-roman-mission-will-unveil-our-home-galaxy-using-cosmic-dust/ 7. https://app.astrobin.com/i/mrfz6c 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070920.html 9. http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/E/Emission+Nebula 10. http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/E/Reflection+Nebula 11. http://arxiv.org/abs/1003.2463 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap051223.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250918.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 19. https://apod.com/feed.rss 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 22. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250919 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250920.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 30. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 32. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 33. https://www.nasa.gov/ 34. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 35. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 36. http://www.mtu.edu/