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[S 9061] Optical image of the Pleiades open star cluster. Optical image of the Pleiades open star cluster (M45) which is situated in the constellation of Taurus at about 400 light years from Earth. The Pleiades cluster is young (roughly 50 million years) on a galactic time scale and is still embedded in acloud of cold gas and interstellar dust, seen here as a blue nebulosity, which represents the material left over from the cluster formation. The cloud forms the finest and nearest example of areflection nebula and appears blue because blue light is reflected more efficiently by the interstellar particles. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Tony Hallas) === === : DIA, Mittelformat, Nr. R614/124] [Stockbild]