NGC 1579: Trifid of the North
Colorful NGC 1579 resembles the better known Trifid Nebula, but lies much farther north in planet Earth's sky, in the heroic constellation Perseus . About 2,100 light-years away and 3 light-years across, NGC 1579 is a captivating study in color. Like the Trifid , NGC 1579 is a dusty star forming region providing contrasting emission and reflection nebulae in the same field - the characteristic red glow of hydrogen gas and the blue of reflected starlight. Also like the Trifid , dark dust lanes are prominent in the nebula's central regions. In fact, obscuring dust is pervasive in NGC 1579 , drastically dimming the visible light from the massive, young, hot stars still embedded in the cosmic cloud.