In today's image, we see the central portion of the Orion Nebula, which includes the Trapezium star cluster. The brightest star in this cluster emits mist of the ultraviolet light that energizes the rest of the nebula and causes it to glow. It is possible that there is also a black hole present here, based on studies of the velocities of the stars.

My podcasts are available in video form through this YouTube Channel.

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.

I welcome comments and suggestions about these podcasts. I can be reached here: wagnerastronomy@gmail.com

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.