Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cassiopeia (Cas)  ·  Contains:  NGC 281  ·  The star ηCas
NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula, Tom the Astro Canuck
NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula
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NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula

NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula, Tom the Astro Canuck
NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula
Powered byPixInsight

NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula

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There's been seemingly-permanent cloud cover everywhere I've been the passed eight weeks. I planned on getting more time on the Pac-Man Nebula, but I'm working with the five hours accumulated.

NGC 281 is a busy workshop of star formation. Prominent features include a small open cluster of stars, a diffuse red-glowing emission nebula, large lanes of obscuring gas and dust, and dense knots of dust and gas in which stars may still be forming. The open cluster of stars IC 1590 visible around the center has formed only in the last few million years. The brightest member of this cluster is actually a multiple-star system shining light that helps ionize the nebula's gas, causing the red glow visible throughout. The lanes of dust visible left of center are likely homes of future star formation.

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NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula, Tom the Astro Canuck