Image 6-7
Nebula NGC 1999

This Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 1999 shows an example of a reflection nebula. A reflection nebula shines only because the light from a star illuminates its dust. The nebula itself does not emit any visible light of its own. NGC 1999 is located close to the famous Orion Nebula, about 1,500 light-years from Earth. This is a region of our Milky Way galaxy where new stars are currently being formed. NGC 1999 is illuminated by a bright, young star which is visible just to the left of center. This star's white color is due to its high surface temperature of about 10,000 degrees Celsius.