Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cassiopeia (Cas)  ·  Contains:  HD5005  ·  IC 1590  ·  LBN 616  ·  NGC 281  ·  Sh2-184
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The PacMan Nebula, 12 hours and in-close!, jrtb
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The PacMan Nebula, 12 hours and in-close!

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
The PacMan Nebula, 12 hours and in-close!, jrtb
Powered byPixInsight

The PacMan Nebula, 12 hours and in-close!

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Description

The most striking feature of NGC 281 is its resemblance to the popular video game character, Pac-Man. This unique shape is due to the presence of a dark, star-forming cloud that appears to "bite" into the surrounding bright emission nebula. Such easily recognizable shapes are relatively rare in the night sky.

The dark, "Pacman"-shaped cloud within NGC 281 is known as a "Bok globule." These dark regions are composed of dense interstellar material and are often the birthplaces of new stars. The presence of a dark cloud within a bright emission nebula adds to the intrigue of NGC 281.

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The PacMan Nebula, 12 hours and in-close!, jrtb