Orange Nebula
© Paul C Swift/500px/Getty Images
A state in space
If humankind ever sends a spacefaring expedition to NGC 1499, call it Mission Burrito, because this cosmic cloud is better known as the California Nebula. Sadly, that mission is many years away if it's possible at all: The California Nebula is over a thousand light-years from Earth, meaning a visit would require a millennium of travel time even if you had a lightspeed vessel. So while the modern marvels of space photography allow us to see it zoomed out (where it recalls the shape of its namesake US state), NGC 1499 will have to wait a while for its close-up.
Red Blue Filaments Nebula
Starry Night Matterhorn Moon Lake Reflection, Switzerland
Interacting Galaxies
Star trails and mountain reflections, Mont Blanc Massif, French Alps, France
Blue Bubble Nebula
Blue Orange Nebula, Stardust, Stars
Orion Nebula, Italy
Protostar L1527 surrounded by nebulous matter