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 July 21
    [2]In a starfield a nebula appears that has three main bright regions
   surrounding a dark central nebula. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                 Cat's Paw Nebula from Webb Space Telescope
               Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]CSA, [6]STScI

   Explanation: Nebulas are perhaps as famous for being identified with
   familiar shapes as perhaps [7]cats are for getting into [8]trouble.
   Still, no known cat could have created the vast [9]Cat's Paw Nebula
   [10]visible toward the constellation of the Scorpion ([11]Scorpius). At
   5,700 [12]light years distant, Cat's [13]Paw is an [14]emission nebula
   within a larger molecular cloud. Alternatively known as the [15]Bear
   Claw Nebula and cataloged as [16]NGC 6334, stars nearly ten times the
   mass of our [17]Sun have been born there in only the past few million
   years. Pictured [18]here is a recently released image of the Cat's Paw
   taken in [19]infrared light by the [20]James Webb Space Telescope. This
   [21]newly detailed view into [22]the nebula helps provide insight for
   how [23]turbulent [24]molecular clouds turn gas into stars.

              Explore Your Universe: [25]Random APOD Generator
                    Tomorrow's picture: double supernova
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    Authors & editors: [37]Robert Nemiroff ([38]MTU) & [39]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([40]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [41]Specific rights apply.
            [42]NASA Web Privacy, [43]Accessibility, [44]Notices;
                A service of: [45]ASD at [46]NASA / [47]GSFC,
                         [48]NASA Science Activation
                           & [49]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2507/CatsPaw_Webb_1822.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/
   6. https://www.stsci.edu/
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_interaction_with_cats
   8. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1RxV7LEt7oY/Uzhk_V5RR7I/AAAAAAAAAOw/4FF6ICSxbmI/s1600/cat+tp.jpeg
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_6334
  10. https://youtu.be/pERNACvXRRw
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140504.html
  12. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
  13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paw
  14. http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/E/Emission+Nebula
  15. https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/bear-paw-print-black-preserved-dried-cracked-mud-surface-83711648.jpg
  16. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_6334
  17. https://www.nasa.gov/sun
  18. https://youtu.be/_QvlRH-q0nw
  19. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves/
  20. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/
  21. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2025/129/01JY2AEHHAE4057AGG56YHW1CQ
  22. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2025/news-2025-129
  23. https://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/archive/1998_canuto_01/
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230129.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/random_apod.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250720.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  32. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  35. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250721
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250722.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  39. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  40. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  41. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  45. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  48. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  49. http://www.mtu.edu/