Cederblad 214 is part of NGC 7822, a large emission nebula located in northern Cepheus, which is actually the northernmost emission nebula in the sky. Another designation for the whole complex is Sharpless 171. The nice little cluster consisting of a few stars at the center is called Berkley 59. The star cluster is one of the primary sources illuminating the nebula and shaping the complex’s famed “pillars of creation”-type formations.
This is a typical large Milky Way HII region with a complex 3-dimensional structure. The complex is believed to be about 3000 light-years distant, with the younger components aged no more than a few million years. Many dark nebulae can be seen in this area as well, most of them superimposed on top of the nebula.
Within Cederblad 214 is one of the hottest known stars in our stellar neighborhood. With a temperature of almost 45,000 degrees Kelvin, BD+66 1673 is over 100,000 times more luminous than our own Sun. Also contained within Cederblad 214 are numerous Bok globules – areas of of condensing gas from which young protostars are created.
