Simeis 188 in Stars, Dust and Gas . ... Visible above are red glowing emission nebulas of hydrogen , blue reflection nebulas of dust , dark absorption nebulas of dust, and the stars that formed from them. ... After tens of millions of years, the dust boils away, the gas gets swept away, and all that is left is a naked open cluster of stars. Simeis 188 is located about 4,000 light years away and can be found about one degree northeast of M8 , the Lagoon Nebula. ... NASA Official: Jay Norris. ...