Posted on 09/13/2011 3:10:04 AM PDT by 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 smaller nebula M43 near center and dusty, 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 nebulae 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 solar 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Image Credit & Copyright:: Jesús Vargas (Astrogades) & Maritxu Poyal (Maritxu)]
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This is my favorite nebulae, and when I was briefly in an Astronomy Club years ago, I loved staring at it in fascination. That and Saturn’s rings. My two fav’s.
Isn’t the Horsehead Nebula located somewhere in Orion? Possibly in the belt area? I remember spending many nights back in the mid 90s searching for this particular nebula, being fascinated by the pictures I’d seen. My 6” scope just wasn’t able to pick it out, although I was probably looking right at it. (By the way, this was in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which is up over 6000 feet and has nice, clear, dark skies).
Kharis13
Your mention of the Horsehead Nebula got me thinking — a sci-fi adaptation of the Godfather... yeah, I can see it...
:’) The answer though, is, I don’t know.
This is the most artistic picture from space that I have seen.
Thanks flaglady47.
Agreed. Its naked eye visible and most familiar. The Pleiades ranks right up there too.
The most beautiful thing in our night sky for a few months, IMHO.
One of my all-time favorite nebulae!
Orion’s scrot.
Beautiful! *saves yet another awesome space pic*
When I was young, I could see color in the nebula through the scope. Now, I am an old guy, I can still see the wisps and some of the stars buried in the center of that big loop, but, can’t see the colors anymore. :(
(It’s very hard to see the color of low light items like the Orion nebula, mainly because the light isn’t bright enough to activate the color sensors in our eyes. When it is very clear, the nebula is bright enough to activate those sensors!)
Someone upstream asked about the Horsehead. The Horsehead needs a scope big enough to allow you to see the contrast between the dark cloud and the brighter sky behind the cloud. I saw it earlier this year in a friends 22inch Dob. One of the most surprising things about the Horsehead is that it is huge! You may have been seeing it, but, if you didn’t have low power in, you were only seeing a small slice of it.
Thanks! And hey, 22 inch Dobs’, nice!
Thank you for the link! The picture makes a lovely desktop. :)
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