A reflection nebula embedded in a much deeper star forming Perseus molecular cloud of dust and gas. HII regions are visible in the right of the image.
This star-forming region, located roughly
1,000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Perseus,
harbors hundreds of newly formed stars less than one million years old. Many of
these proto-stars exhibit energetic activity such as jets and strong stellar
winds. (seds.org)