The Angel Nebula is part of the northern spur of the Galactic Cirrus also referred to as the Integrated Flux Nebula. Unlike more classic nebulae the galactic cirrus sits well above the plane of the Milky Way and is illuminated not by a single star but by the flux of all the stars in the Milky Way. The IFN is relatively faint and not very well studied. It has been, and still is, regarded by most astronomers as a nuisance, a dirty window through which one must peer to see past it. This image is probably one of the deepest and most detailed view of this object. It covers a 2.5 degrees field of view and shows extensive details of the structure of the galactic cirrus. In addition to the blue hue characteristic of reflection nebulae, the galactic cirrus also emits a faint reddish glow as UV light from the Milky Way’s stars is absorbed and re-emitted in the red spectrum. Located in Ursa Major the nebula is believed to be between 300 and 900 light years above the plane of our galaxy. — Astrophotography.com

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