Reflection Nebulas in Orion
Explanation:
In the vast
Orion Molecular Cloud complex,
several bright blue nebulas are particularly apparent.
Pictured above are two of the most prominent
reflection nebulas -
dust clouds lit by the
reflecting light of bright embedded stars.
The more famous nebula is
M78,
near the image center, cataloged over 200 years ago.
On the upper left is the lesser known
NGC 2071.
The image was taken with the
Mayall 4-meter telescope
on
Kitt Peak,
Arizona,
USA.
Astronomers continue to
study
these
reflection nebulas to better understand how interior stars form.
The
Orion complex
lies about 1500
light-years distant, contains the
Orion and
Horsehead nebulas,
and covers much of the
constellation of Orion.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
