APOD: 2026 January 30 - NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus

Good Red Friday evening, Rallypoint, and welcome to the January 30, 2026 edition of Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).

The more one looks at NGC 1333, the more there is to see. First discovered by German astronomer Eduard Schönfeld in 1855, it's not just a blue reflection nebula. Ionized gas ejected along the axis of rotation of newly formed stars produce the telltale red contrast of Herbig-Haro objects. At only ~1,000 light years from Earth, NGC 1333 is one of the closest active star-forming regions to us. The region spans about 6 light-years across. Infrared light detected by the Spitzer and Webb Space Telescopes reveal hundreds of hidden stars buried in its dust.