This is part of the constellation Cepheus, rich in dark molecular clouds. It is dominated by the great dark nebula LDN 1235 (see mouseover). This nebula is probably a so-called red emission nebula, ie a cloud placed at high galactic latitudes that becomes visible thanks to the interstellar radiation field, with a low surface brightness and therefore with obscure appearance if observed in the band of visible light. The cloud includes two reflection nebulae, catalogued as Vdb 149 (DG 177,Magakian 879) and VdB 150 (DG 178, Magakian 880). In particular, VdB 149 seems to be part of it, although studies on radial velocity indicate that it would be in its direction only for a perspective effect. The star responsible for the illumination of VdB 149 is BD + 72 1018, a B8V spectral-class main white-blue star, which gives a markedly bluish color to the gases and dusts that illuminate it, weakly overheating them and causing them to emit infrared radiation. VdB 150 is illuminated by HD 210806, a sub-giant star of spectral class B8IV. The distance to the complex (including both VdB 149 and VdB 150) is estimated at about 312 parsec (1019 light years).