Astronomy Picture of the Day -- The Great Orion Nebula M42

NASA ^ | November 04, 2015 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: The Great Nebula in Orion, also known as M42, is one of the most famous nebulas in the sky. The star forming region's glowing gas clouds and hot young stars are on the right in this sharp and colorful image that includes the bluish reflection nebulae NGC 1977 and friends on the left. Located at the edge of an otherwise invisible giant molecular cloud complex, these eye-catching nebulas represent only a small fraction of this galactic neighborhood's wealth of interstellar material. Within the well-studied stellar nursery, astronomers have also identified what appear to be numerous infant planetary systems. The gorgeous skyscape spans nearly two degrees or about 45 light-years at the Orion Nebula's estimated distance of 1,500 light-years.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit and Copyright: Terry Hancock (Down Under Observatory)]

[SunkenCiv]

The Big One

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[samtheman]

great

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Some call it Orion's Sword. Others have more...colorful or prurient names for that region of space.

[SunkenCiv]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerne_Abbas_Giant

[SunkenCiv]

The Big One is pretty darned fine.

[Talisker]

It looks like a turkey. That’s why Franklin wanted the national bird to be the turkey.

And if you want to know how Franklin knew what the Orion Nebula looked like in 1789, watch The Da Vinci Code.

[SunkenCiv]

That’s the same kind of reasoning I saw in “The DaVinci Code”, so, yeah.

[Talisker]

That’s the same kind of reasoning I saw in “The DaVinci Code”, so, yeah.

I know, right?

LOL

[SunkenCiv]

I think Orion was from Ireland, anyway. ;’)