The Merope Nebula

On October 19, 1852, German born astronomer Wilhelm Tempel discovered the Merope Nebula (NGC 1435), also known as the Tempel Nebula in the Pleiades star cluster.  Probably the remnants of a supernova, the nebula surrounds the 4th magnitude star Merope, which also lends its name.  Merope (Μερόπη), one of the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades, daughter of Atlas and Plieone.  Tempel was a prodigiously busy astronomer, credited with the discovery of 21 comets, several of which bear his name (including Tuttle-Tempel, sourceof the Leonid Meteor shower) as well as five asteroids.

Images courtesy NASA in the public domain.