APOD 2.3

November 12, 2010.        NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula.

This amazing picture was taken of the Iris Nebula located 1,300 Light Years away in the constellation Cepheus and spans about 6 Light Years across.  This really intrigued me as it seems that a good number of the pictures I choose each week are located near or in Cepheus and I am still trying to find out why this is.  Apparently, the picture is supposed to be representative of flowers, although I did not get that impression.  It greatly exemplifies the great colors and symmetry that can occur in these Nebulae and thus NGC 7023 is a good model.  The bright object in the upper right hand corner is a hot, young star, while the surrounding transparent clouds are dusty nebular materials. The bluish color around the star is a result of the dust particles reflecting starlight, which usually comes out to be a similar color.  The surrounding dust takes on a more faint red look as a result of these particles reflecting some of the star's ultraviolet radiation.  Recent observations using infrared technology by the Spitzer Telescope are leading astronomers to believe that this Nebula may contain PAHs, or advanced and complex carbon molecules.