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Credit & Copyright: Dean Jacobsen
Explanation:
The 1970s
are
often overlooked.
In particular, the beautiful grouping of reflection nebulae
NGC 1977,
NGC 1975, and NGC 1973 in Orion are
often overlooked in favor of
the substantial stellar nursery better known as the Orion Nebula.
Found along the sword of Orion just north
of the
bright Orion Nebula complex, these nebulae are also associated
with Orion's giant
molecular cloud which lies about
1,500 light-years away, but
are dominated by the characteristic blue color of interstellar
dust reflecting light from hot young stars.
In this sharp
color image a portion of the Orion Nebula appears
along the bottom border with the cluster
of reflection nebulae
at picture center.
NGC 1977 stretches across the field just below center,
separated from NGC 1973 (above right) and NGC 1975 (above left)
by dark regions laced with faint red emission from
hydrogen atoms.
Taken together, the dark regions suggest to many the
shape of a running man.
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& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: reflection nebula - NGC 1977
Publications with words: reflection nebula - NGC 1977
See also: