The Iris Nebula, designated NGC 7023 by human astronomers, is a reflection nebula approximately 6 light years across and 1,300 light years away from Earth in the Cepheus constellation. Within the nebula, dusty nebular material (i.e.; interstellar dust and gas) surrounds a massive, hot, young star in its formative years. Central filaments of cosmic dust glow with a reddish photoluminescence as some dust grains effectively convert the star's invisible ultraviolet radiation to visible red light. The nebula's dominant color, blue, is the result of dust grains reflecting star light. Infrared observations indicate that this nebula may contain complex carbon molecules known as PAHs.