NGC 6589-90, NGC 6595, IC 1283-84, IC 4700

Complex Nebulosity in Sagittarius

text copyright Robert Gendler

 

This rich nebula complex is located near the center of the galaxy where dust is ubiquitous and often partially obscures the view at visible wavelengths. The two bright blue clouds are NGC 6589 and NGC 6590. The clouds represent scattered starlight from two imbedded young blue stars. The two bright stars are part of a loose cluster known as NGC 6595. The diffuse magenta cloud is a complex HII region which absorbs the energy from the nearby bright stars and releases it in the visible red light of excited hydrogen. The HII clouds are known as IC 1283, IC 1284 and IC 4700. This region of our galaxy is rich with dust clouds and young stars which together produce the stunning reflection nebulae we see in the image.