NGC 2175 - Monkey Head Nebula - Chuck Novice

Constellation: Orion Type of object: Emitting nebula Distance: 6,400 light-years Magnitude: 6.8 Discovered in : 1654 Fun Facts ! NGC 2175 is an open cluster, a group of around 50 to 100 young stars born from the same giant molecular cloud. These stars, estimated to be only a few million years old, are still in their fiery adolescence, burning brightly and illuminating the surrounding gas and dust. The nebula's ethereal glow comes from the interaction between the hot stars and the surrounding gas and dust. The energetic ultraviolet radiation from the stars excites the gas, which then emits light of different colors. This deep-sky object is larger than a full moon!