NGC-281 (Sharpless 2-184) is a bright emission nebula in the northern constellation of Cassiopiea, in the Milky Way galaxy's Perseus Arm. This large (20' X 30') nebula contains the open cluster IC-1590, The multiple star system B 1, and several dark Bok globules. It is an active star-formation cloud. It was discovered in 1883 by Edward Emerson Barnard. It lies at a distance of 9,500 light years from Earth.