Orion Pines
Explanation:
Taken with a camera fixed to a tripod, many short exposures
were aligned with the stars to unveil this beautiful, dark night sky.
Captured
near
the rural village of Albany`a
at the northeastern corner of Spain, the three
stars of Orion's belt stretch across top center in the starry frame.
Alnitak, the easternmost (left) of the
belt stars is seen next to the more diffuse glow of the
Flame Nebula
and the dark notch of the famous
Horsehead.
Easily visible to the naked-eye
The Great
Nebula of Orion
is below the belt stars.
A mere 1,500 light-years distant, it is the closest large
stellar nursery to our fair planet.
Best seen in photographs, the broad and faint arc of
Barnard's Loop seems to
embrace Orion's brighter
stars and nebulae though.
In the northern spring the familiar
northern winter constellation
is setting.
Near the western horizon toward lower right Orion's
apparently bright
blue supergiant Rigel just touches the branches of a pine tree.
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.
