The Soul Nebula (also known as Sh2-199, LBN 667, Westerhout 5, and IC 1848) is an emission nebula about 6500 light years away. This nebula is a massive star-forming region and contains large cavities that were formed by radiation and winds from adjacent massive stars. This process is thought to force gas together, causing it to ignite into new stars. Although I can find no mention of this elsewhere, to me this nebula resembles a large bear!

Also appeared at http://www.astronomy.com/photos/picture-of-day  June 1, 2015

Technical Information       

Date:                       October, 2014

Location:                 Green Valley, Arizona

Telescope:              Takahashi FSQ-106EDX

Camera:                  SBIG STT-8300M

Filters:                     Astrodon Gen 2

Mount:                     AstroPhysics 1200

Exposure:                HaRGB = 9:2:2:2 hours, all unbinned

Software:                 Acquisition: Maxim DL 5, TheSkyX, Pinpoint, CCD Commander

                                Processing: CCDStack, PhotoShop CS6 with various plugins