Reflection Nebula NGC 1333 in Perseus | Steward Observatory

Reflection Nebula NGC 1333 in Perseus | Steward Observatory

NGC 1333 is located about 1,000 light-years away in the constellation of Perseus (The Hero), positioned next to the southern constellation border with Taurus and Aries. The cool gas and dust concentrated in this region is generating new stars whose light is then reflecting off the surrounding material, lighting it up and making this object’s lingering presence known to us. NGC 1333 is accordingly classified as a reflection nebula.

This nebula is in the western part of the Perseus molecular cloud and is a young region of very active star formation.  It contains a fairly typical hierarchy of star clusters that are still embedded in the molecular cloud in which they formed, which are split into two main sub-groups to the north and south. Most of the infrared emission is happening in the southern part of the nebula. A significant portion of the stars seen in the infrared are in the pre-main sequence stage of their evolution.

Technical Details:

Phillips 24-inch RCOS Telescope

Camera: SBIG STL11000

Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

Image Date: Nov. 1, 2009

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