Ghostly Cat’s Head Nebula

The Cat’s Head Nebula is seen in visible light in this image. The nebula is an opaque, dark brown pillar of dust. The cat’s glowing red eye may indicate a young star embedded in the dust. The nebula’s right side has a hazy yellow outline, consistent with an illuminated, ionized rim where a process known as photoevaporation may occur. During this process, energetic ultraviolet light impinges on the gas, heating it up and essentially evaporating it. The background changes from blue and cyan above the pillar to yellow, orange, and red farther down. Hubble’s filters record scattered starlight along with light emitted from oxygen, hydrogen, and sulfur. Differences in gas excitation, absorption by dust, and illumination all contribute to the changing colors. Arcs of material toward the bottom may have been shaped by ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from massive stars. Many small stars, and some larger stars with Hubble’s characteristic four-point diffraction spikes, are scattered in the background and foreground.