In today's image, we see what is known as the Pencil Nebula. This is a portion of the Veil Supernova remnant, the material left behind by a star seen so explode here on Earth over 10,000 years ago. The shockwave continues to expand outward, enriching the interstellar medium with heavier elements.

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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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