This image captures small reflection nebulae located in the constellation of Orion at a declination of -8 degrees. Although the numerous nebulae look similar in spectacle to me, the bluish one in the center of this image has been anointed as a vdB object, vdB 55, as seen in the mouseover.
Dust fills the background intermittently and makes processing of this region difficult.
Sidney van den Bergh published his vdB catalog of reflection nebulae in 1966. It was later expanded by one for a total of 159. The collection supposedly encompasses all reflection nebulosity visible on the Palomar Sky Survey north of -33 degrees latitude, but as you can see here, there must have been a minimum brightness for inclusion, since many similar reflection nebulae are not included. My Astrobin vdB Collection, which is about 80% complete, is
here.
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