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Explanation: Why is the belt of Orion surrounded by a bubble? Although glowing like an emission nebula, the origin of the bubble, known as Barnard's Loop, is currently unknown. Progenitor hypotheses include the winds from bright Orion stars and the supernovas of stars long gone. Barnard's Loop is too faint to be identified with the unaided eye. The nebula was discovered only in 1895 by E. E. Barnard on long duration film exposures. Orion's belt is seen as the three bright stars across the center of the image, the upper two noticeably blue. Just to the right of the lowest star in Orion's belt is a slight indentation in an emission nebula that, when seen at higher magnification, resolves into the Horsehead Nebula. To the right of the belt stars is the bright, famous, and photogenic Orion Nebula.
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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 - emission nebula - supernova
Publications with words: Orion - emission nebula - supernova
See also:
- APOD: 2025 September 19 Á The NGC 6914 Complex
- APOD: 2025 September 10 Á The Great Lacerta Nebula
- APOD: 2025 August 13 Á Trapezium: In the Heart of Orion
- APOD: 2025 August 8 Á Dawn of the Crab
- APOD: 2025 July 31 Á Supernova 2025rbs in NGC 7331
- APOD: 2025 July 21 Á Cats Paw Nebula from Webb Space Telescope
- APOD: 2025 July 16 Á The Rosette Nebula from DECam