IC59 Cassiopeia Widefield

Looking towards the constellation of Cassiopeia, there is a colorful sky landscape with the melting gas clouds IC 59 (above) and IC 63 (below). The clouds are about 600 light years away and do not actually melt, but slowly dissolve under the influence of the ionizing, ultraviolet radiation of the hot, luminous star γ Cas. Gamma Cassiopeiae is physically only 3-4 light years away from the nebula. In IC 63, which is even closer to the Gamma Cassiopeiae, red H-alpha light, which is radiated when ionized hydrogen atoms rejoins their electrons, dominates. IC 59, which is farther away from the star, shows less H-alpha radiation, but more of the characteristic, blue color of the starlight, which is reflected by the dust.