Explanation: Like delicate cosmic petals, these clouds of interstellar dust and gas have blossomed 1,300 light-years away in the fertile star fields of the constellation Cepheus.
Sometimes called the Iris Nebula and dutifully cataloged as NGC 7023, this is not the only nebula in the sky to evoke the imagery of flowers.
Still, this beautiful digital image shows off the Iris Nebula's range of colors and symmetries in impressive detail.
Within the Iris, dusty nebular material surrounds a massive, hot, young star in its formative years.
