APOD: 2023 November 20 Б The Horsehead Nebula
Explanation:
Sculpted by stellar winds and
radiation, a magnificent interstellar dust cloud by
chance has assumed this
recognizable shape.
Fittingly named the
Horsehead Nebula, it is some 1,500 light-years
distant,
embedded in the vast
Orion cloud complex.
About five light-years "tall," the dark cloud is cataloged as
Barnard 33
and is visible only because its
obscuring dust is silhouetted
against the glowing red emission nebula IC 434.
Stars are forming within the dark cloud.
Contrasting blue
reflection nebula NGC 2023, surrounding a hot, young
star, is at the lower left of
the full image.
The featured gorgeous
color image
combines both
narrowband
and
broadband images recorded using several different telescopes.
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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.
