NGC 281 — The Bright Face of Cosmic Pac-Man

NGC 281, also known as the Pac-Man Nebula, is located in the constellation of Cassiopeia and owes its nickname to its unusual shape, reminiscent of the classic video game character. This emission nebula hosts the open cluster IC 1590 and several Bok globulins, small dark clouds where new stars are born.

During my 61-minute session, I managed to capture the central structure with its filaments of ionized gas and the contrast between the bright areas and the shadows that outline Pac-Man's "mouth." Despite the relatively short exposure, the image reveals the interaction between young stars and the surrounding gas, a testament to the stellar life cycle in action.

This object was discovered in 1883 by E.E. Barnard and remains a favorite in astrophotography for its visual and symbolic richness.