The Great Nebula in Orion
author: K.A. Lecky Hepburn/Novapix
reference: a-neb19-76025
Image Size 300 DPI: 22 * 15 cm
To the eye, the nebula appears as a misty patch around the central star of the line of three which form Orion's sword. The central group of stars is the Trapezium cluster and these stars are responsible for producing the nebula. It is the high concentration of dust and gas in this part of the sky which has resulted in the formation of the stars, so the Orion nebula is no random association of bright stars and dusty gas. At a distance of 1500 light years, the Orion nebula is the nearest star-forming region to the Sun.