This object is a very faint molecular cloud located 400 light years away in the constellation of Taurus at a declination of +26 degrees. It is also known as the Baby Eagle Nebula and the Vulture Head Nebula, plus various other bird head creative nicknames.
The object spans 2 to 3 light years. It is close to the Pleiades star cluster in a large cloud of dust and gas known as the Taurus Molecular Cloud.
The reflection nebula envelopes a Bok globule, known as Bernard 207. Bok globules are isolated small dark nebulae containing dense dust and gas, within which star formation is believed to be taking place. This Bok globule is the brownish patch above the Eagle's eye. The brownish color is caused by large dust grains embedded in the gas. Studies have concluded that the age of the globule is from 100,000 to 300,000 years.
My favorite part of the image is the faint thin arc of bright gas which curves around the top of the “head” and through the orange star. I haven't seen an explanation for this interesting feature. The orange 8.3 magnitude star, HD 25596, is 2200 light years away from us, much further away than the nebula. Despite its appearance, the star is not having an effect on the nebula.
I would love to understand the formation mechanism for the eagle head shape, as well as for the void which is the "eye".
My previous effort with my Tak 130 is
here, taken with an integration time that is 3 times longer. Comparing the 2 images shows the benefits of the RASA at f/2.2 vs the Tak at f/7.7.
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