The California Nebula
NGC 1499 in Perseus
was named for its resemblance to the Golden State, but I see this large emission nebula as an alligator's head with the dark bok globule representing the eye. NGC 1499 is 100 light-years long and only 1,500 ly from Earth, and was discovered in 1884 by the great E. E. Barnard. Thanks to Jim Misti for this fine data.
LARGE
was named for its resemblance to the Golden State, but I see this large emission nebula as an alligator's head with the dark bok globule representing the eye. NGC 1499 is 100 light-years long and only 1,500 ly from Earth, and was discovered in 1884 by the great E. E. Barnard. Thanks to Jim Misti for this fine data.
LARGE