Sh2-188: The Shrimp Nebula Explanation: What causes the swirl in the Shrimp Nebula? Its high speed is likely. What is sure is that Sh2-188 is one of the larger planetary nebulas on the night sky, by angular size , spanning about half the diameter of the Moon . Moreover, the white-dwarf core — leftover from the Sun -like star that shed its outer atmosphere — is moving unusually fast through interstellar space, creating a bow shock most visible on the upper left that is similar to a boat plowing through water . Although faint, the Shrimp Nebula glows also by compressing and brightening gas on its leading edge. The featured image was taken in the light of hydrogen , sulfur, and oxygen by a backyard telescope in Krakow , Poland and then digitally adjusted to approximate the nebula ‘s true colors. APOD’s email for image submissions has changed. Please see: APOD Submissions APOD’s main NASA site has moved : From apod.nasa.gov to science.nasa.gov/apod Tomorrow’s picture: open space Date September 29, 2026 Credit & Copyright Pawel Piechnik Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Keighley Rockcliffe A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC , NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. Random APOD Generator Yesterday’s Image APOD: 2026 September 28 – Cosmic Latte: The Average Color of the Universe Tomorrow’s Image