NGC 281, also known as the Pacman Nebula, is an emission nebula and star-forming region located in the constellation Cassiopeia. It is located approximately 9,200 to 9,500 light-years away from Earth.

 Its popular nickname comes from its distinctive shape, which resembles the classic video game character, formed by a large, bright cloud of gas with dark dust lanes cutting into it.

 This region is a stellar nursery, with a young, massive open star cluster known as IC 1590 embedded within its core. These young stars release intense radiation and stellar winds that cause the surrounding hydrogen gas to glow brightly.

 The nebula contains several Bok globules, which are dense, isolated clouds of cosmic gas and dust where new stars are actively forming. The dark dust lanes that form the “mouth” of the Pacman shape are visible in optical images because they block the light from the glowing gas behind them.