|
Credit & Copyright: Máximo Ruiz
Explanation:
This cosmic expanse of dust, gas, and stars covers close to 3 degrees
on the sky in the heroic constellation
Perseus.
Right of center in the
gorgeous skyscape
is the dusty blue reflection nebula
NGC 1333,
about 1,000 light-years away.
At that estimated distance, the field
of view is about 50 light-years across.
Next to NGC 1333 is the reddish glow of shocked hydrogen gas created
by energetic jets and winds from stars in the process of formation.
Other reflection nebulae are scattered around,
along with remarkable
dark dust nebulae.
Near the edge of a large
molecular
cloud,
they tend to hide the newly
formed stars and young stellar objects
or protostars from prying optical telescopes.
Collapsing due to
self-gravity, the
protostars
form around dense cores embedded in the molecular cloud.
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: reflection nebula - star formation - dark nebula
Publications with words: reflection nebula - star formation - dark nebula
See also:
- NGC 1893 and the Tadpoles of IC 410
- The Light, the Dark, and the Dusty
- APOD: 2023 November 27 Á LBN 86: The Eagle Ray Nebula
- APOD: 2023 November 20 Á The Horsehead Nebula
- APOD: 2023 October 30 Á Reflections of the Ghost Nebula
- The Ghosts of Gamma Cas
- APOD: 2023 September 26 Á IC 4592: The Blue Horsehead Reflection Nebula