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Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler
Explanation:
Adrift 1,500 light-years away in one of
the night sky's most recognizable
constellations, the glowing
Orion Nebula and the dark
Horsehead Nebula are contrasting
cosmic vistas.
But even fainter filaments of glowing gas are easily traced
throughout the region in
this
stunning composite image
that includes exposures filtered to record emission
from hydrogen atoms.
The view reveals extensive
nebulosities associated with
the giant Orion Molecular
Cloud
complex, itself hundreds of light-years across.
A magnificent emission region, the
Orion
Nebula (aka M42) lies at the
upper right of the picture.
Immediately to its left are a cluster of prominent bluish
reflection nebulae sometimes called
the Running Man.
The Horsehead
nebula appears as a dark cloud, a small silhouette
notched against the long red glow left of center.
Alnitak is the easternmost star in Orion's belt and
the brightest star to the left of the Horsehead.
Below Alnitak is the
Flame Nebula, with clouds of
bright emission and dramatic dark dust lanes.
Completing the trio of Orion's belt
stars, bluish Alnilam and Mintaka form a line with Alnitak,
extending to the upper left.
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A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day