Emission nebula NGC 281. Optical image of the emission nebula NGC 281. An emission nebula is a cloud of gas that glows as the hydrogen it contains is

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Emission nebula NGC 281. Optical image of the emission nebula NGC 281. An emission nebula is a cloud of gas that glows as the hydrogen it contains is ionised by radiation from hot stars within it. This is a starbirth region. New stars are formed as gas coalesces under gravity. Several dark blobs are seen silhouetted against the bright nebula. These are Bok globules, dense regions of gas and dust thought to be areas in which new stars are forming. This nebula lies around 10,000 light years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia.

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Size: 3700px × 4725px
Photo credit: © J-C CUILLANDRE/CANADA-FRANCE-HAWAII TELESCOPE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 281, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysics, birth, bok, canada-france-hawaii, cassiopeia, cosmology, emission, evolution, formation, gas, globule, globules, h2, hii, hydrogen, nebula, nebulae, ngc, optical, region, science, space, star, starbirth, stars, stellar, telescope