Astrophotography by Anthony Ayiomamitis

van den Bergh Reflection Nebulae Image Gallery

Sidney van den Bergh's comprehensive catalog of galactic reflection nebulae, published in 1966, contains 158 entries representing nebulosity around BD- and CD-type stars north of -33d and as identified in both red and blue Palomar Sky Survey prints. These entries represent diffuse reflection nebulae which, in some instances, are illuminated by one or more background stars (ex. Pleiades member stars) and, in other instances, by the integrated light of the Milky Way. A total of thirteen associations were found within Sagittarius, Vulpecula, Cepheus, Perseus, Taurus, Orion, Monoceros, Canis Major and Scorpius with distance estimates based on the stars responsible for the illumination. As is evident from the sample images below, perhaps the best-known examples are the bright wisps of clouds surrounding various members of the Pleiades open star cluster in Taurus and including Alcyone (vdB 23), Electra (vdB 20), Maia (vdB 21) and Merope (vdB 22).


van den Bergh Reflection Nebula Images

vdB 20 in Tau

vdB 21 in Tau

vdB 22 in Tau

vdB 23 in Tau

vdB 131 in Cyg

vdB 132 in Cyg

vdB 139 in Cep

vdB 142 in Cep

vdB 146 in Cep

vdB 152 in Cep

vdB 155 in Cep