|
Explanation: The Horsehead Nebula is one of the most famous nebulae on the sky. It is visible as the black indentation to the red emission nebula seen just to the right of center of the above photograph. The bright star near the center is located in the belt of the familiar constellation of Orion. The horse-head feature is dark because it is really an opaque dust cloud which lies in front of the bright red emission nebula. Like clouds in Earth's atmosphere, this cosmic cloud has assumed a recognizable shape by chance. After many thousands of years, the internal motions of the cloud will alter its appearance. The emission nebula's red color is caused by electrons recombining with protons to form hydrogen atoms. Also visible in the picture are blue reflection nebulae, which preferentially reflect the blue light from nearby stars.
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: nebula - Orion - Horsehead Nebula
Publications with words: nebula - Orion - Horsehead Nebula
See also:
- APOD: 2024 November 25 Á The Horsehead Nebula
- APOD: 2024 September 10 Á Horsehead and Orion Nebulas
- APOD: 2024 June 11 Á Colorful Stars and Clouds near Rho Ophiuchi
- APOD: 2024 January 31 Á Camera Orion Rising
- APOD: 2024 January 23 Á Deep Nebulas: From Seagull to California
- APOD: 2024 January 16 Á The Orion You Can Almost See
- APOD: 2023 November 20 Á The Horsehead Nebula