VdB 11 - reflection nebula in Camelopardalis

This image covers an area 1.91 x 1.27 deg. in the constellation Camelopardalis. In the middle is the small reflection nebula VdB 11. It is located in the southern part of the constellation, not far from the border with Cassiopeia. It is illuminated by a blue giant of eighth magnitude cataloged as HD 20798, which radiation gives to the surrounding gas a markedly bluish color. This star is part of a group of young stars, which are not part of the largest region of association OB Cam OB1. Its distance of about 1000 light years, places it in an intermediate position on the line of sight. This distance would place it in the same region in which lies the open cluster Stock 23, consisting of a few dozen stars and located a few degrees from the nebula to the southwest, within the boundaries of Cassiopeia. The star-forming region in which is included the association Cam OB1 and the two nebulae VdB 14 and VdB 15, visible just south of vdB 11, are located about 2,600 light years away from the Solar System. A highly magnified crop of the nebula can be seen below:

VdB 11

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