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Credit & Copyright: Robert G. Lyons
(Robservatory)
Explanation:
What part of Orion is this?
Just north of the famous
Orion Nebula is a picturesque
star
forming region in
Orion's Sword that contains a lot of intricate
dust -- some of which appears blue
because it reflects the light of
bright embedded stars.
The region's popular name is the
Running Man Nebula because,
looked at from the right, part of the brown dust appears to be running legs.
Cataloged as
Sharpless 279,
the reflection nebula is not only part of the
constellation of
Orion, but part of the greater
Orion molecular cloud complex.
Light from the Running Man's bright stars, including
42 Orionis, the bright star closest to the
featured image center, is slowly
destroying and reshaping the surrounding dust,
which will likely be
completely gone in about 10 million years.
The nebula spans about 15
light years and lies about 1,500 light years away.
Jigsaw Nebula:
Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
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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: Orion - reflection nebula
Publications with words: Orion - reflection nebula
See also:
- APOD: 2026 March 2 Á The Dusty Surroundings of Orion and the Pleiades
- APOD: 2026 February 18 Á Orions Cradle
- NGC 1333: Stellar Nursery in Perseus
- APOD: 2026 January 28 Á M78: Reflecting Blue in a Sea of Red
- APOD: 2026 January 27 Á Orions Treasures over Snowy Mountains
- LDN 1622: Dark Nebula in Orion
- NGC 7023: The Iris Nebula