NGC 2170

NGC 2170 is a reflection nebula located in the constellation of Monoceros, about 2,700 light-years from Earth. It was discovered on October 16, 1784 by William Herschel.

It looks like the work of a celestial painter skilled in abstract art who painted with a cosmic brush. It is also known as the Angel Nebula. Reflecting the light of nearby hot stars, NGC 2170 is joined by other bluish reflection nebulae, a red emission region, many dark absorption nebulae, and a carpet of scattered colorful stars.

This nebula, viewed in infrared light, reveals young, massive stars hidden in its dust and signs of the ongoing process of new star formation. The powerful winds of young stars and their radiation are transforming the parent interstellar cloud. The NGC 2170 nebula is part of the Monoceros R2 molecular cloud.