The Spider and The Fly

Explanation: Bright clusters and nebulae abound in the ancient northern constellation of Auriga . The region includes the open star cluster M38 , emission nebula IC 410 with Tadpoles , Auriga's own Flaming Star Nebula IC 405 , and this interesting pair IC 417 (lower left) and NGC 1931. An imaginative eye toward the expansive IC 417 and diminutive NGC 1931 suggests a cosmic spider and fly . About 10,000 light-years distant, both represent young, open star clusters formed in interstellar clouds and still embedded in glowing hydrogen gas. For scale, the more compact NGC 1931 is about 10 light-years across.

Note: An APOD editor will review great space images on Thursday, January 14, in Houghton, Michigan.
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