|
Credit & Copyright: Piotr Czerski
Explanation:
Cradled in red-glowing hydrogen gas, stars are being born in Orion.
These stellar nurseries lie at the edge of the giant
Orion molecular cloud complex, some 1,500
light-years away.
This detailed view spans about 12
degrees across the
center of the well-known constellation, with the
Great Orion Nebula,
the closest large
star-forming region, visible toward the lower right.
The deep mosaic also includes, near the top center,
the Flame Nebula and the
Horsehead Nebula.
Image data acquired with a
hydrogen-alpha filter adds other remarkable features
to this wide-angle cosmic vista:
pervasive tendrils of energized atomic
hydrogen gas and portions of the surrounding
Barnard's Loop.
While the Orion Nebula and many
stars in Orion
are easy to see with the unaided eye, emission from the extensive
interstellar gas is faint and much
harder to record, even in telescopic views of the nebula-rich complex.
Sky Surprise:
What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (after 1995)
|
January February |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 - star formation - H-alpha
Publications with words: Orion - star formation - H-alpha
See also:
- APOD: 2026 February 2 Á Orion: The Running Man Nebula
- NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus
- APOD: 2026 January 28 Á M78: Reflecting Blue in a Sea of Red
- APOD: 2026 January 27 Á Orions Treasures over Snowy Mountains
- LDN 1622: Dark Nebula in Orion
- APOD: 2025 December 28 Á NGC 1898: Globular Cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud
- NGC 253: Dusty Island Universe