Nearby it is a dusty yellow cosmic cloud historically known as Hind's Variable Nebula (NGC 1555/1554).
Over 400 light-years away, at the edge of a molecular cloud, both star and nebula are seen to vary significantly in brightness but not necessarily at the same time, adding to the mystery of the intriguing region.
T Tauri stars are now generally recognized as young (less than a few million years old), sun-like stars still in the early stages of formation.
To further complicate the picture, infrared observations indicate that T Tauri itself is part of a multiple system and suggest that the associated Hind's Nebula may also contain a very young stellar object.
The dramatic color image spans about 4 light-years at the estimated distance of T Tauri.
