... Few cosmic vistas excite the imagination like the Orion Nebula, an immense stellar nursery some 1,500 light-years away. ... Comet Dust over Colorado . ... Cosmic Rays . ... The Comet and the Galaxy . ... During late March and early April 1997, Comet Hale-Bopp passed nearly in front of the Andromeda Galaxy. ... The First Explorer . ... Low clouds are seen in silhouette against the first hints of sunlight, while two famous cosmic clouds, the Clouds of Magellan, also hover in the brightening sky. ...