Interstellar dust clouds of Taurus and Perseus

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Wide-field image of the region of Perseus and Taurus, from the pink California nebula (NGC 1499) at top, to the blue Pleiades star cluster (M45) at bottom. In between and surrounding the main bright objects are many tendrils of interstellar dust clouds, varying in shades of brown and pale blue. Around the Pleiades the faint clouds reflect some of the blue light of the young stars, but away from the Pleiades the clouds take on a warm reddish tone, or appear as just dark fingers blocking all light from behind. At centre right are some brighter patches known as IC 348 around the star Atik, or Omicron Persei. The glow at left in the darkest cloud is IC 2087. The small star cluster at upper right is NGC 1342.

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Size: 3608px × 5400px
Location:
Photo credit: © Alan Dyer, VWPics/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, 341, 348, 353, 354, 1342, 1499, 2087, astronomical, astronomy, astrophotography, b14, b209, b220, b4, b5, barnard, california, clouds, dark, dust, ic, m45, messier, nebula, ngc, night, persei, perseus, pleiades, reflection, sky, taurus, winter, zeta