{
  "id": 17379103,
  "title": "Boo! See the universe’s spookiest sights in time for Halloween",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/boo-see-the-universes-spookiest-sights-in-time-for-halloween",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-31T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Scientific American",
    "slug": "scientific-american",
    "url": "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/boo-see-the-universes-spookiest-sights-in-time-for-halloween/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As Halloween approaches, the cosmos unveils its spookiest sights, with stars and galaxies resembling eerie creatures, skulls, and galactic ghouls. Skeletons and disembodied heads, characteristic of the holiday, are not limited to Earth; one such phantasmic apparition, the exposed cranium nebula, orbits around us all year long. Its brainlike structure arises from the varying stages of a star's demise, starting with the expulsion of hydrogen to form a white outer layer, followed by the development of a heavier, orange \"brain\" material within. The Ghost of Cassiopeia, a nebula of gas and dust, shines brightly due to hydrogen reacting with ultraviolet radiation from a star in the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen. The resulting red glow from the hydrogen interaction and blue haze from light reflecting off space dust make for a haunting sight in the night sky. Meanwhile, the Red Spider Nebula scuttles through space, its central star ejecting bursts of gas and dust, which form the spider's \"legs\" composed mainly of hydrogen. Among the celestial creatures, the Cat's Head Nebula stands out, resembling a cat turned to the right with a glowing red eye, possibly a young star. Last but not least, the Phantom galaxy, located 32 million light-years away in the Pisces constellation, elicits a spooky aura due to its low surface brightness and head-on spiral view, resembling a portal to another dimension. For those who appreciate accurate and captivating science journalism, subscribing to Scientific American is a must, as it supports staff and freelance journalists who strive to tell true, important, and compelling science stories.",
  "summary": "From ghosts to skeletons and even spiders, the cosmos is full of scary surprises",
  "key_points": [
    "Skeleton-like nebula, exposed cranium, orbits Earth year-round",
    "Ghost of Cassiopeia, nebula of gas and dust, glows red-blue",
    "Phantom galaxy, 32 million light-years away, resembles portal"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}