This star-forming region in the constellation Cepheus is located about 3000
light years from earth. The very young (perhaps only 1 million years old)
stars at the middle of this object have carved out a gap in the
cloud of dust and gas that gave them birth. Their light reflects off the
remnants of this cloud, giving the beautiful blue (and the rarer yellow)
colors in this nebula. Along some of the interior ridges of the cloud, the
radiation from the stars has caused hydrogen to give off its characteristic
red glow. Finally, the red crescent-shaped areas (called Herbig-Haro objects)
show areas that are being shocked by the material streaming from newly formed
stars not yet visible through the haze of gas and dust.

This image was published in "Sky & Telescope" May 2013, p. 78.

Image data:
Camera: SBIG STL-11000
Exposure: LRGB 120:40:40:40 (all 10-minute frames)
Telescope: Hyperion 12.5"