Tagged: Reflection Nebula - Adam Lundie - Eatons Hill Observatory

NGC 2626 is a seldom photographed, spectacular reflection nebula in a sea of hydrogen emission clouds.

NGC5367 is a reflection nebula 2000 light years in the Centaurus constellation. The bright blue stars illuminate the otherwise dark molecular cloud complex.

IC 4601 is a reflection nebula within the larger Blue Horsehead Nebula. Reflection nebulae are actually made up of dust that normally appears dark but can reflecting the light of nearby stars.

Shown in this animation is the movement of Ceres over 8 hours, on the night of 4th June 2019, as it passed by the outer edge of IC4592, the Blue Horsehead Nebula.

Inside the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex live the star clusters IC4604 (left) and IC4603 (right). Heading towards the bottom of the image shows the transition from blue reflection nebulae to red emission nebulae. Interspersed are dark absorption nebulae, blocking the light from the stars behind them.

Less than 500 light-years away and blocking light from more distant, background stars in the Milky Way, the densest part of the dust cloud of Caldwell 68 is about 8 light-years long. At its tip is a group of reflection nebulae cataloged as NGC 6726, 6727, 6729, and IC 4812. A characteristic blue color is produced as light from hot stars is reflected by the cosmic dust.