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Credit & Copyright: Mario Zauner
Explanation:
The dark Horsehead Nebula and the glowing
Orion Nebula are contrasting cosmic vistas.
Adrift 1,500
light-years
away in one of the night sky's
most recognizable
constellations,
they appear in opposite corners of the above
stunning two-panel mosaic.
The familiar Horsehead
nebula appears as a dark cloud on the lower left, a small
silhouette
notched against the glow of hydrogen
(alpha) gas,
here tinted orange.
Alnitak is the easternmost star in
Orion's belt and can be found
to the left of the
Horsehead.
Below Alnitak is the
Flame Nebula, with clouds of
bright emission and
dramatic dark dust lanes.
The magnificent emission region, the
Orion Nebula (aka M42), lies at the upper right,
surrounded by the blue glow of reflecting dust.
Immediately to its left is a prominent
reflection nebula sometimes called the Running Man.
Pervasive tendrils
of glowing hydrogen gas are easily
traced
throughout the region.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Orion Nebula - Horsehead Nebula
Publications with words: Orion Nebula - Horsehead Nebula
See also: