APOD: 2026 October 2 – The Complete Sharpless Catalog: 313 Nebulas

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day showcases the entire Sharpless Catalog of H II Regions, which includes 313 nebulas. The image, captured by astrophotographer Bing Xin, traverses the dark skies of Eastern China and Inner Mongolia to reveal these celestial wonders. This catalog, despite its name, encompasses more than just the glow of ionized hydrogen that constitutes H II regions.

It also includes planetary nebulas like the Medusa Nebula and supernova remnants such as the Spaghetti Nebula. To capture the entire catalog, Xin utilized narrowband filters that primarily collect light from ionized hydrogen and oxygen, along with red-green-blue filters. Each object required between 2 to 6 hours to capture, and the entire endeavor took approximately 800 hours to complete.

Visitors can zoom in on the image to identify fan favorites like the Eagle, Heart, and Orion Nebulas. The email for image submissions to APOD has been updated; for submission details, refer to APOD Submissions. The next picture to be featured will be just Curiosity.