Stardust in Perseus . ... Credit Copyright: Lynn Hilborn Explanation: This cosmic expanse of dust, gas, and stars covers some 6 degrees on the sky in the heroic constellation Perseus . ... At right, another active star forming region NGC 1333 is connected by dark and dusty tendrils on the outskirts of the giant Perseus Molecular Cloud, about 850 light-years away. ... Collapsing due to self-gravity , the protostars form from the dense cores embedded in the dusty molecular cloud. ...