Astronomy Picture of the Day

Reflection Nebulas in Orion


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#95073 by @ 11.10.2006 00:00 - nach oben -
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.




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