APOD: 2026 September 29 – Sh2-188: The Shrimp Nebula
The post APOD: 2026 September 29 – Sh2-188: The Shrimp Nebula appeared first on NASA Science .
On September 29, 2026, the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) showcased the Sh2-188: The Shrimp Nebula. This astronomical wonder is one of the larger planetary nebulas, as observed in the night sky, spanning roughly half the diameter of the Moon. The vivid swirl in the nebula's appearance is largely due to its high speed. The white dwarf core, which is the leftover remnant of a Sun-like star, travels unusually fast through interstellar space.
This rapid motion creates a bow shock most evident on the upper left side, resembling a boat cutting through water. Despite its faint glow, the Shrimp Nebula also illuminates by compressing and brightening gas on its leading edge. The featured image was captured using a backyard telescope in Krakow, Poland, and the colors have been digitally adjusted to reflect the nebula's authentic hues.
The APOD's email for image submissions has changed, and the main NASA site has been relocated from apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod.
Written by urgent.news from NASA Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- APOD: 2026 September 29 – Sh2-188: The Shrimp Nebula science.nasa.gov
