NGC 1333 (Winter 2016)

This fascinating part of the Perseus molecular cloud shows such variety that one could spend weeks studying it.  In fact, many have.  This study in particular was very helpful in understanding what is going on there.

Distances to the NGC 1333 area---the nebula and cluster---come from two sets of studies. One set holds that the distance is around 760 light years, the other set around 1140 light years.

The bright star lighting up the bright nebula on the left is called BD +30°549.  It is spectral type B8, hot and blue, which is why the nebulosity around it is blue.

Just below the nebula are two distinctly redder knots of nebulosity.  The upper right one is HH 12, and the lower left one is HH 7-11, meaning there are actually five Herbig-Haro catalog objects here, though we are probably seeing only the outflow from one source, an infrared young stellar object known as SVS 13.

Over on the right, near the top, is HD 21110, enveloped in whitish waves of nebulosity.  The star is a type K4 and appears to be passing through the nebulosity, according to this source.  The source also suggests that the variability sometimes observed in the star in the past may result from its passing behind dust clouds of varying opacity.  Really fascinating.

The bluish star on the center right surrounded by bluish nebulosity is SAO 56444 of BD +30°540.  It is type B8V, which explains the blue reflection nebula around it.

This image is a combination LRGB  28:16:16:16 x 900" with the FSQ setup at DSW.