This area of star formation is located about 10,700 light years
from earth in the constellation Perseus. In the bright center
of this nebula you see the star whose radiation is lighting
up the hydrogen cloud around it. You can also see how the
radiation from that star is eroding the gas and dust in
its immediate area, carving out a hollow space around the
star.If you look at this hollow space in the "original" size,
you can see denser parts of the cloud that are resisting that
erosion, leaving long fingers that point back to the central star.

Image data:
Telescope: 12.5" Hyperion
Camera: STL-11000
Exposure: 17.5 hours (13 hours hydrogen-alpha; 4.5 hours RGB)