Colorful NGC 1579 resembles the better known
Trifid Nebula, but lies much farther north in the 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.
