The Pacman Nebula is the informal name for NGC 281, an emission nebula and star cluster located in the constellation Cassiopeia, about 9,200 light-years from Earth. It is known as the Pacman Nebula due to its resemblance to the video game character, with the "mouth" appearing dark because of a dust cloud. This region is a site of active star formation, featuring high-mass stars that create strong winds and radiation that sculpt the surrounding gas and dust into structures