NGC 281 - Pac-Man Nebula

The Pac-Man Nebula, cataloged as NGC 281, is an extended emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia in the Perseus Spiral Arm of our Milky Way, located approximately 9,200 to 9,500 light-years from Earth with a physical size of about 95 light-years.

The name Pac-Man Nebula comes from its distinctive shape, which in optical images resembles the well-known video game character Pac-Man, with a bright “body” of glowing gas and a dark, dust-obscured “mouth” region.

The image shown here is based on two variants: first, a blend of LRGB and dual-band exposures, in which the red H-alpha emission of the ionized hydrogen is emphasized and the overall structure of the nebula is strongly defined. Second, the dual-band exposures were used to create a Hubble Palette (HOO), with oxygen (O III) mapped to green and blue and hydrogen (H-alpha) to red. This color assignment highlights the ionized gas filaments and makes the intricate structures of the nebula stand out in high contrast.

Shooting Data