NGC 1499 is commonly known as the California Nebula because its shape is similar to that of the Golden State. This nebula is located within the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy about 1500 light years from Earth and spans nearly a 100 light years from end to end. The brightest star in the image above, Xi Persei, is likely responsible for lighting up this nebula with its strong outpouring of UV radiation. The California Nebula was discovered by the eagle-eyed astronomer E. E. Barnard in 1885. This image was taken from a dome at the Mount Wilson Observatory nearly on the spot where E. E. Barnard was a guest in 1905 when he finished data collection on his famous opus, "A Photographic Atlas of the Milky Way".