 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(February 2017) |
| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
 The nebula NGC 1491 | |
| Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
| Subtype | H II region |
| Right ascension | 04h 03m 15.9s [1] |
| Declination | +51° 18′ 54″ [1] |
| Distance | 3.02 ± 0.6 kpc (9,800 ± 2,000 ly) [1] ly |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | ~1½° [2] |
| Constellation | Perseus |
| Designations | Ced 25, LBN 704, LBN 706, Sharpless 2-206, [1] Little Pacman Nebula [3] |
NGC 1491, also known as LBN 704, SH2-206 or the Fossil Footprint Nebula, is an emission type bright nebula located about 9,800 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Perseus. [1] It was discovered on 23 December 1790 by William Herschel.
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The nebula gets its deep red coloration due to many massive stars (such as BD+50 866) embedded within NGC 1491 producing large amounts of ultraviolet radiation and ionizing the hydrogen gas that makes up the nebula. [4] [5]
