The dust and gas surrounding LkH-alpha 101

The linear polarization of the reflection nebula NGC 1579 and the CO (1 to 0) emission from the associated molecular gas have been mapped for several minutes of arc around the exciting star LkH-alpha 101. These maps show conclusively that LkH-alpha 101 is the sole significant source of illumination in the region. The dust in the reflection nebula appears to be uniform over the illuminated region and is uniformly illuminated by LkH-alpha 101. Despite the patchy obscuration, the dark cloud which obscures LkH-alpha 101 does not surround the star. LkH-alpha 101 may have formed out of a placental cloud whose remnants now include four molecular cloud fragments, two in front of and two behind the reflection nebula, as well as an H I cloud previously detected in the region.