Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cassiopeia (Cas)  ·  Contains:  HD5005  ·  HD5032  ·  IC 1590  ·  LBN 615  ·  LBN 616  ·  NGC 281  ·  Sh2-184
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NGC281 - The Pacman Nebula in HOO, KTAZ
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NGC281 - The Pacman Nebula in HOO

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
NGC281 - The Pacman Nebula in HOO, KTAZ
Powered byPixInsight

NGC281 - The Pacman Nebula in HOO

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Description

NGC 281 is a bright emission nebula and part of an H II region in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia and is part of the Milky Way's Perseus Spiral Arm. Playfully called the Pacman Nebula because of its overall shape, NGC 281 is about 10,000 light-years away from Earth.

In the center is open cluster IC 1590. Formed within the nebula, that cluster's young, massive stars ultimately power the pervasive nebular glow. The eye-catching shapes looming in this portrait of NGC 281 are sculpted columns and dense dust globules seen in silhouette, eroded by intense, energetic winds and radiation from the hot cluster stars. If they survive long enough, the dusty structures could also be sites of future star formation.

This is my third attempt at narrow-band; I think I'm getting the hang of it!

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NGC281 - The Pacman Nebula in HOO, KTAZ