In today's image, we see the California Nebula also known by the catalog designation of NGC 1499. This is an example of an emission nebula where light from a hot star ionizes the gas nearby and causes it to glow. The red color is associated with hydrogen gas, the most common element in the universe.

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This Podcast is an authorized New Media Mirror Site for APOD. You can access the image and website directly at: Astronomy Picture of the Day. You can use the archive link below the image to select the photo corresponding to the date of this podcast.

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