{
  "id": 11352069,
  "title": "APOD: 2026 October 2 – The Complete Sharpless Catalog: 313 Nebulas",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/apod-2026-october-2-the-complete-sharpless-catalog-313-nebulas",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-02T04:05:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NASA Science",
    "slug": "nasa-science",
    "url": "https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-october-2-the-complete-sharpless-catalog-313-nebulae/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "What does it take to image hundreds of nebulas? Today’s image contains the entire Sharpless Catalog of H II Regions, totaling 313 objects. Zoom in and explore! The post APOD: 2026 October 2 – The Complete Sharpless Catalog: 313 Nebulas appeared first on NASA Science .",
  "key_points": [
    "The Astronomy Picture of the Day features all 313 nebulas from the Sharpless Catalog.",
    "Photographer Bing Xin captured the image in Eastern China and Inner Mongolia.",
    "Narrowband and RGB filters were used to reveal various types of nebulas."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The comprehensive image of 313 nebulas showcases a broad spectrum of celestial bodies beyond just H II regions, including planetary nebulas and supernova remnants in unprecedented detail.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NASA",
        "title": "APOD: 2026 October 2 – The Complete Sharpless Catalog: 313 Nebulas",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/apod-2026-october-2-the-complete-sharpless-catalog-313-nebulas-11365412",
        "published": "2026-10-02T04:05:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}