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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.
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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:
- APOD: 2025 September 19 Á The NGC 6914 Complex
- APOD: 2025 July 10 Á Lynds Dark Nebula 1251
- APOD: 2025 June 23 Á W5: Pillars of Star Formation
- APOD: 2025 April 28 Á Gum 37 and the Southern Tadpoles
- APOD: 2025 March 26 Á Star Formation in the Pacman Nebula
- Reflections on VdB 31
- The Variable Nebula NGC 2261