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Credit & Copyright: Marco Burali, Tiziano Capecchi, Marco Mancini
(Osservatorio MTM)
Explanation:
Sculpted by stellar winds and
radiation, a magnificent interstellar dust cloud by
chance has assumed this recognizable shape.
Fittingly named the
Horsehead
Nebula, it is some 1,500 light-years distant,
embedded in the vast
Orion cloud
complex.
About five light-years "tall", the dark cloud is cataloged as
Barnard 33
and is visible only because its
obscuring dust is silhouetted
against the glowing red emission nebula IC 434.
Stars are forming within the dark cloud.
Contrasting blue
reflection nebula NGC 2023, surrounding a hot, young star,
is at the lower left.
The gorgeous
color image
combines both narrowband and broadband
images recorded using three different telescopes.
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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: nebula - dust
Publications with words: nebula - dust
See also: