Aqua Burst: Skywatcher Photo Reveals Nebula's Blue Glow

Skywatcher J.P. Brahic took this photo in December 2011. Multiple exposures are made to collect enough light for an image that would otherwise not be evident to the eye. CREDIT: J.P. Brahic View full size image

An aqua burst of light glows from this image of NGC 1333 taken  by French skywatcher Jean-Pierre Brahic, in December 2011. The reflection nebula is located in the constellation Perseus.

A reflection nebula is a cloud of dust visible with the help of energy from a nearby star or stars. These nebula are typically blue in color because the carbon dust particles reflect blue light more efficiently than red light.

NGC 1333 is 1,000 light-years away at the edge of a large star-forming cloud. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, or about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers). The region is known for containing hundreds of young stars in a chaotic environment of dust and gas. The faint reddish glow comes from hydrogen gas from young stars forming within the nebula.

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