... Reflection Nebula NGC 1435 . ... Reflection nebulae reflect light from a nearby star. ... The blue color typical of reflection nebula is caused by blue light being more efficiently scattered by the carbon dust than red light. ... In this picture, the seemingly familiar teardrop-shaped object just right of center is actually an unusually situated disk of gas and dust. ... Ominously foreshadowing events to come, a dark cloud of obscuring dust stands out against a luminous star field in the Milky Way. ...