Hind’s Variable Nebula | NGC 1555
NGC 1555 is a rare and fascinating reflection nebula, called a variable nebula and is located in the constellation Taurus. Unlike most nebulae, its brightness and structure visibly change over time. These variations are not caused by the nebula itself, but by fluctuations in the light from the young star embedded within it.
Interestingly, the star in the middle of the nebula is called T Tauri, and it is the prototype of an entire class of young stars called T Tauri stars. These are pre-main-sequence stars still in the process of gravitational contraction, often surrounded by circumstellar disks of gas and dust. As the star accretes material its brightness changes.
Hind’s Variable Nebula is classified as a Herbig–Haro related object, meaning it is associated with energetic outflows from newly forming stars. The glowing dust we observe does not emit its own light and we can only see it because it reflects the radiation from T Tauri.
Imaged in BVR over 6 hours in late December, 2025.