Iris Nebula

The Iris Nebula is a bright reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus 1300 light years away. The nebula is illuminated by a 7.4 magnitude star in the center. The nebula is made up of tiny particles of solid matter 10 to 100 times smaller than dust particles on Earth. These particles diffuse the light around them giving them a bluish glow. 393 single exposures make up this colorful nebula for a total of 13 hours.