Gas and dust nebulae. Optical image of the emission nebulae IC 4678 (right) and IC 1275 (left). Both are characterised by reddish clouds of doubly-ionised hydrogen gas (HII). Part of IC 1275 is obscured by a dense cloud of dust, the dark nebula LDN 210. All of these nebulae are associated with the early stages of star formation. In the background, stars of the Milky Way are seen. This image was made using the CFH12K camera on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope at Mauna Kea, Hawaii.