Sharpless 281: The Sculpted Dust of the Pacman Nebula

Drift ~9,200 light-years into the northern sky toward the constellation Cassiopeia, and you’ll encounter Sharpless 281 (NGC 281)—a vibrant stellar nursery spanning nearly 90 light-years across.

Informally dubbed the "Pacman Nebula," its distinct profile is shaped by a dense, dark lane of interstellar dust and gas that cuts d irectly into the bright glowing core. Embedded near the center is IC 1590, a young, high-energy star cluster whose massive, hot stars drive powerful ultraviolet radiation into the surrounding cloud. This radiation causes the hydrogen and surrounding gases to fluoresce, while sculpting small, isolated dark dust clouds known as Bok globules—the dense incubators for future generations of stars.

Captured and processed at Fort Erie Observatory.