Horsead nebula and Orion nebula
author: J.Lodriguss/Novapix
reference: a-neb19-76513
Image Size 300 DPI: 32 * 21 cm
This large complex of nebulosity is located about 1,500 light years away in Orion. The Orion complex is a gigantic stellar nursery where stars are forming out of the dust and gas in the region. Young energetic stars excite the gas in the region ionizing it and causing it to glow in the hydrogen-alpha and oxygen III emission lines. The brightest star in the photo at left at magnitude 1.8 is Alnilam, the middle star of the three distinctive stars in the belt of Orion. At the bottom is the Flame, NGC 2024, and the dark nebula B33, the Horsehead Nebula. Top right is a patch of blue reflection nebulosity NGC 1973-4-5 and the beautiful Orion Nebula, M 42.