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Credit & Copyright: Brian Lula
Explanation:
Like delicate cosmic petals, these clouds of interstellar
dust and gas have blossomed 1,300 light-years away in the fertile
star fields of the constellation Cepheus.
Sometimes called the Iris Nebula and dutifully
cataloged as NGC
7023, this is not the only nebula in the
sky to evoke the imagery of flowers.
Still, the
beautiful
digital image shows off the Iris Nebula's range of colors and
symmetries in impressive detail.
Nebular material is seen to surround a massive, hot,
young star, still in its formative years.
The telltale
reddish glow
of atomic hydrogen gas energized by the star's invisible
but intense ultraviolet
light flanks the bright central region.
Yet the dominant color of the nebula is blue,
characteristic
of dust grains reflecting starlight.
Dark, obscuring clouds of dust and cold molecular gas are also
present and can lead the eye to see other
convoluted and
fantastic shapes.
Infrared observations
indicate that this nebula may contain
complex carbon molecules known as
PAHs.
As shown here, the Iris Nebula is about 6 light-years across.
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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: reflection nebula - emission nebula - dark nebula - NGC 7023
Publications with words: reflection nebula - emission nebula - dark nebula - NGC 7023
See also: