Colorful NGC 1579 [
http://www.cosmotog…small_ngc1579.html ] resembles the better known Trifid Nebula, but lies much farther north in planet Earth's sky, in the heroic constellation Perseus [
http://www.hawastso…]. About 2,100 light-years away and 3 light-years across, NGC 1579 is [
http://www.noao.edu…n1579.html ] a captivating study in color. Like the Trifid [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…], NGC 1579 is a dusty star forming region providing contrasting emission and reflection nebulae [
http://www.seasky.o…] in the same field - the characteristic red glow of hydrogen gas and the blue of reflected starlight. Also like the Trifid [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…], dark dust lanes are prominent in the nebula's central regions. In fact, obscuring dust is pervasive in NGC 1579 [
http://www.seds.org…], drastically dimming the visible light from the massive, young, hot stars still embedded in [ http://adsabs.harvar d.edu/abs/1956PASP.. .68..353H ] the cosmic cloud.
Explanation
Colorful NGC 1579 [
http://www.cosmotog…small_ngc1579.html ] resembles the better known Trifid Nebula, but lies much farther north in planet Earth's sky, in the heroic constellation Perseus [
http://www.hawastso…]. About 2,100 light-years away and 3 light-years across, NGC 1579 is [
http://www.noao.edu…n1579.html ] a captivating study in color. Like the Trifid [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…], NGC 1579 is a dusty star forming region providing contrasting emission and reflection nebulae [
http://www.seasky.o…] in the same field - the characteristic red glow of hydrogen gas and the blue of reflected starlight. Also like the Trifid [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…], dark dust lanes are prominent in the nebula's central regions. In fact, obscuring dust is pervasive in NGC 1579 [
http://www.seds.org…], drastically dimming the visible light from the massive, young, hot stars still embedded in [ http://adsabs.harvar d.edu/abs/1956PASP.. .68..353H ] the cosmic cloud.
Explanation
