Astronomy Picture of the Day

Explanation: A study in contrasts,this colorful cosmic skyscapefeaturesstars, dust, and glowing gasin the vicinity of NGC 6914.Theinterstellar complex of nebulaelies some 6,000 light-years away,toward the high-flying northern constellationCygnus and the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy.Obscuring interstellar dust clouds appear insilhouette while reddish hydrogenemission nebulae,along with the dusty bluereflection nebulae,fill the cosmic canvas.Ultraviolet radiation from the massive, hot, young stars of theextensiveCygnus OB2association ionize the region's atomichydrogen gas, producingthe characteristic red glow as protons and electrons recombine.Embedded Cygnus OB2 stars also provide theblue starlight strongly reflected by the dust clouds.The over one degree wide telescopic field of view spansabout 100 light-years at the estimated distance of NGC 6914.