The Wizard Nebula

The Wizard Nebula is located about 7,200 light-years from Willingboro. It lies in the constellation Cepheus and is about 100 light-years wide.

The Wizard Nebula is an emission nebula that surrounds the open star cluster NGC 7380. It is the radiation of the cluster’s young stars (approximately 5 million years old) that give the Nebula its shape. I’m not sure who gave it its name (it was discovered in 1787 by Caroline Herschel (her brother is William Herschel (perhaps she had other brothers, too)), but supposedly it resembles a medieval sorcerer. It’s the hat, I guess.