California nebula (NGC 1499) and the Pleiades Star Cluster (M45), also known as the Seven Sisters (right of image). The California Nebula (red, on the

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California nebula (NGC 1499) and the Pleiades Star Cluster (M45), also known as the Seven Sisters (right of image). The California Nebula (red, on the left) is a huge cloud of gas, mainly hydrogen, which glows due to the ionisation of the hydrogen gas by ultraviolet radiation from the star Xi Persei. The nebula takes its name from its resemblance to the outline of the state in the USA. Silhouetted against the sky is Euphorbia balsamifera (Balsam Spurge). Photographed in La Palma, Canary Islands.

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Size: 5315px × 4036px
Photo credit: © BABAK TAFRESHI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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