NGC 281 – The Pacman Nebula: Where Stars Play Games

In the constellation Cassiopeia, there’s a playful patch of sky that looks suspiciously like something out of an ’80s arcade. Say hello to NGC 281, or as it’s better known—the Pacman Nebula.
At first glance, it’s a cosmic puff of glowing gas and dust. But look a little closer and… chomp chomp! There’s a shape—wide-mouthed, hungry, and ready to devour stars like pellets.
But long before pixelated games and telescopic views, this nebula had a mythological past…

The Tale of Moru, the Star Eater

Long ago, the gods of the cosmos created a guardian spirit named Moru. His job was to clean up the universe—consuming broken stars, lost comets, and rogue chunks of interstellar trash.
But Moru got too good at his job.
He didn’t just clean up leftovers—he started chasing stars that were still very much alive, just to get that sweet taste of fusion fire. One bite and boom—another sun gone.
Panicked, the star gods trapped Moru inside a glowing prison cloud, shaping it like his own greedy mouth as a warning.
Now, Moru is frozen in the sky as the Pacman Nebula, forever hungry… and forever paused mid-bite.

What Is NGC 281 Really?

Type: Emission nebula
Location: ~9,200 light-years away in Cassiopeia
Size: About 48 light-years across
Nickname: The Pacman Nebula (because of its shape in visible-light images)
What’s happening inside: It’s a stellar nursery, full of young stars and intense radiation
Bonus coolness: It contains a star cluster known as IC 1590 and a few Bok globules—dark, dusty regions where stars are still forming
It’s basically the universe’s version of a candy store… if the candy was made of gas clouds and the customers were baby stars.

Final Thoughts

The Pacman Nebula reminds us that the universe isn’t all seriousness and spirals. Sometimes, space likes to get a little quirky—throw in a wink, a mouth wide open, and maybe a snack break between supernovae.
So next time you look up at Cassiopeia, just remember:
Somewhere out there, a cosmic glutton is paused mid-bite…
And the stars are still running.