California Nebula

This infrared view from the WISE spacecraft shows details of the California Nebula, a vast complex of gas and dust in the constellation Perseus. Ultraviolet energy from Xi Persei, a bright star at upper left, causes much of the nebula's gas to glow. Strong winds from the star create a shockwave that heats the surrounding dust, shown in red. The green depicts lanes of dust in the nebula. Some of the dust and gas may collapse to give birth to new stars. [NASA/JPL/Caltech/UCLA]