NGC 2170: Still Life
with Reflecting Dust
From NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day
In this beautiful celestial still
life composed with a cosmic brush, dusty nebula NGC 2170 shines
at the upper left. Reflecting the light of nearby hot stars, NGC 2170 is joined by
other bluish reflection nebulae,
a compact red emission region,
and streamers of obscuring dust against a backdrop of stars.
Like the common
household items still life
painters often choose for their subjects, the clouds of gas, dust, and
hot stars pictured here are also commonly found in this setting - a massive, star-forming molecular cloud in
the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros).
The giant molecular cloud,
Mon R2, is impressively close, estimated to
be only 2,400 light-years or so away. At that distance, this canvas would be
about 15 light-years across.
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