vdB 16 is the 16th entry in van den Bergh Catalog of Reflection Nebulae^[2] compiled by Sidney van den Bergh.  It is a relative small reflection nebula in the constellation Aries about 980 light-years distant^[1].  This colorful blue nebula is illuminated by the class F, 9th magnitude, star cataloged HIP 16170^[1].  vdB 16 is located in the very large Perseus Cloud^[1].  This cloud of dust and gas extends over 500 light-years and is host to an abundance of young stars^[3].  Located in the upper right of the above image is the dark nebula cataloged B 204 (LDN 1455^[1].  This dark cloud of dense dust is almost devoid of any visible stars.  Such clouds, however, are sites of new star nurseries hidden by the dense dust and cool gas^[4].

References
¹Irida Observatory: https://www.irida-observatory.org/CCD/VdB16/VdB16.html
²Wixsite: https://guinotmathieu.wixsite.com/astrophotographies/catalogue-de-van-den-bergh?lang=en
³NASA: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia23405-perseus-molecular-cloud
⁴Universe Today: https://www.universetoday.com/99467/dark-nebula-hides-star-birth/ <