---
title: "Astronomy Photo of the Day: 05/09/14 – NGC 1788"
description: "  [caption id=\"attachment_23162\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"667\"] Credit: R Jay GaBany[/caption] This is NGC 1788: a reflection nebula located in the constellation of Orion, some 1,300 light-years from Earth.  Sometimes referred to as the Fox-face nebula, this region is peculiar in many ways. The primary reflection nebula (seen in the center in bluish-white) is surrounded by a contrasting..."
date: "2014-05-09"
modified: "2014-05-09"
authors:
  - name: "Jaime Trosper"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jaimefqtq"
url: "https://futurism.com/apotd-ngc-1788"
categories:
  - "From Quarks to Quasars"
---

# Astronomy Photo of the Day: 05/09/14 – NGC 1788

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/NGC-1788.jpg>)

[![Credit: R Jay GaBany](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/NGC-1788.jpg>)](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/NGC-1788.jpg>)
*Credit: [R Jay GaBany](<http://www.cosmotography.com/>)*

This is [NGC 1788](<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_1788>): a reflection nebula located in the constellation of Orion, some 1,300 light-years from Earth.

Sometimes referred to as the Fox-face nebula, this region is peculiar in many ways. The primary reflection nebula (seen in the center in bluish-white) is surrounded by a contrasting ring of ionized hydrogen. This ring is powered by immensely huge stars that are incredibly young, but invisible from this vantage point.

Then, surrounding those two parts, is another layer, a dark nebula (called [Lynds 1616](<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynds_1616>)). Dark nebulae, by nature, are composed of high-concentrations of course, densely-packed grains of interstellar dust. This dust obscures the light from stars buried inside of it, but what is unseen can be seen when we look at the clouds at infrared wavelengths.

This same dust also generates the reflection nebula part of this region. When rays of light meet dust particles, they bounce around (or scatter), giving the nebula its characteristic appearance.

R Jay GaBany captured this stunner using a half-meter RCOS telescope and a SBIG STL-11000 camera. See more of his work [here](<http://www.cosmotography.com/>).

*See a much larger image [here](<http://www.cosmotography.com/images/lrg_ngc1788.html>).*

## Author
Jaime is a freelance writer, who finds great joy in sharing the wonders of universe with others. She used this passion to launch "From Quarks to Quasars" in 2012.