Posted on 02/18/2026 1:20:39 PM PST by MtnClimber
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.
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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
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That one spot almost looks alive.
bttt
That spot just to the right of the words Orion Nebula is a baby head.
So THAT’S where Baby Stars come from! ;)
I wave at Orion all winter long. He is the closest constellation in the sky, right off of my front porch. As he moves further to the East in the night sky, I know that Spring is on her way! :)
The Orion Nebula is a cheeseburger.
The Horsehead Nebula is Joy Behar.
Just above the Orion Nebula and slightly to the left, there seems to be a small Star of David.
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