NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 30, 2026 features a telescopic view of dusty regions in the constellation Cepheus. According to the accompanying explanation, the shapes are cosmic dust clouds visible in dim reflected starlight, located above the plane of the Milky Way at the edge of the Cepheus Flare molecular cloud complex, some 1,200 light-years away.

The image includes vdB 141, also known as Sh2-136 or the Ghost Nebula, described as more than 2 light-years across and lying at the lower right of the field of view. The explanation notes reddish signs inside it of dense cores collapsing in the early stages of star formation. To the left of center, the Iris Nebula appears with a bluish hue from interstellar dust reflecting light from hot young stars of NGC 7023.

The broad frame spans almost six full moons across the sky, the explanation states. The image is credited to Mirko Tondinelli, with authors and editors listed as Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Robert Nemiroff and Keighley Rockcliffe.