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Credit & Copyright: Mario Zauner
Explanation:
The famous Horsehead Nebula in Orion is not alone.
A deep exposure shows that the
dark familiar shaped indentation,
visible just below center, is part of a
vast complex of absorbing
dust and
glowing gas.
To bring out details of the
Horsehead's pasture,
an amateur astronomer used a backyard telescope in
Austria
to accumulate and artistically combine
7.5 hours of images in the light of
Hydrogen (red),
Oxygen (green), and
Sulfur (blue).
The resulting
spectacular picture details an intricate
tapestry of gaseous wisps
and dust-laden
filaments that were created and
sculpted over eons by
stellar winds and
ancient supernovas.
The Flame Nebula
is visible just to the left of the Horsehead, while
the bright star on the upper left is
Alnilam, the central star in
Orion's Belt.
The Horsehead Nebula lies 1,500
light years distant
towards the constellation of
Orion.
Bounce around the Universe:
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Orion
Publications with words: Orion
See also: