Wrekking a Two Tonner: Instagram favs - GHOSTS THAT CARRY STARS Image Credit & Copyright: T.A. Rector/University of Alaska Anchorage, H. Schweiker/WIYN and NOAO/AURA/NSF. 1200 light years distant in the constellation Cepheus is this vast 2 light year-long reflection nebula cataloged as vdB 141 or Sharpless 2-136 though it is well known for its given name; the Ghost Nebula. Like spirits or ghosts rising up through the fog, reaching out, arms raised in hopes that the Ghost of Phoenix (just above and out of frame) will rescue them (I will post the Ghost of Phoenix next). In reality, this cloud of star forming material is actually creating life; stellar life. Gas and dust move through space, as they do perturbations can create density pockets which then causes gravity to begin to pull more gas and dust together in a process known as accretion. The material continues to condense, compress, heat up and eventually as the pressures, mass and heat build, it sparks to life a new fusion reactor, a star. This region, though its spooky appearance is no different. Within the nebula are several newborn stars. As their light shines through it gives the entire structure a yellowish-brown hue, illuminating these ghostly figures that escort them. On the right side of this photo the cloud is undergoing a gravitational collapse and is likely the early stage formation of a binary star system. The system being created has already been given a designation; BD+67 1300.