NGC 7380 – The Wizard Nebula

Description:

The Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380) is an emission nebula located approximately 7,200 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus.

It is a large cloud of gas, mainly composed of hydrogen, in which new stars form, and which is ionized by radiation from these stars. The cloud extends over a hundred light years in diameter, and does not have a homogeneous density: in certain places, the concentration of gas is greater, and can lead to a gravitational collapse which increases with time until the creation of one or more stars.

Like almost all emission nebulae, the Wizard is associated with an open cluster; precisely the one resulting from the collapse of this gas cloud, and which will survive the nebula long after it has completely disappeared, in a few million years. (source: milleniumphoton.com)