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Credit & Copyright: Yuugi Kitahara
Explanation:
Reflection nebulae reflect light from a nearby star.
Many small carbon grains in the nebula reflect the light.
The blue color typical of reflection nebula is caused by blue light being
more efficiently scattered by the carbon
dust than red light.
The brightness of the nebula is determined by the
size and density of the reflecting grains,
and by the color and brightness of the neighboring star(s).
NGC 1435,
pictured above, surrounds
Merope (23 Tau),
one of the brightest stars in the
Pleiades (M45).
The
Pleiades nebulosity is caused by a
chance encounter between an
open cluster of stars and a
molecular cloud.
The unusual area on the far left, known as
Bernard's Merope Nebula (IC 349),
reflects visible light with unusually high efficiency.
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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: nebula - reflection nebula
Publications with words: nebula - reflection nebula
See also:
- APOD: 2026 February 2 Á Orion: The Running Man Nebula
- NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus
- APOD: 2026 January 28 Á M78: Reflecting Blue in a Sea of Red
- APOD: 2026 January 19 Á CTB 1: The Medulla Nebula
- NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula
- APOD: 2025 September 19 Á The NGC 6914 Complex
- APOD: 2025 March 18 Á LDN 1235: The Shark Nebula