VDB 142 in Cepheus
Explanation:
A gorgeous collection
of dust and gas nebulae in the
Northern
Milky Way graces the high and far off constellation of Cepheus.
With
colors
based on astronomical filters, this close up of the region
highlights stars embedded in
curiously shaped cosmic clouds.
Near the central faint (9th magnitude) star in the image,
dust clouds reflect the starlight,
creating a
bluish
reflection nebula cataloged
in 1966
as VDB 142.
The area's bright reddish
emission nebulae
indicate the prescence of
clouds of
atomic hydrogen gas.
Stripped of electrons by invisible ultraviolet
light, the hydrogen
atoms emit their characteristic visible red
light as
electrons and
atoms recombine.
Sweptback clouds of obscuring dust,
dark
nebulae,
are silhouetted against the bright background.
Representing the stuff stars are made of, all
these
nebulae lie within
the large young star cluster complex
IC 1396,
3,000 light years from Earth.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
