Orion [
http://www.astro.wi…Orion.html ], the Hunter, is one of the most easily recognizable constellations [
http://kids.msfc.na…Connect.asp ] in planet Earth's night sky [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. But Orion's stars [
http://www.gb.nrao.…optical.html ] and nebulae [
http://es.rice.edu/…orionpleiades.html ] don't look quite as colorful [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] to the eye as they do in this lovely photograph, taken last month from Vekol Ranch south of Phoenix [
http://www.psiaz.co…], Arizona, USA. The celestial scene [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] was recorded in a five minute time exposure using high-speed color print film and a 35mm camera mounted [
http://www.astropix…I0702/I0702.HTM ] on a small telescope. In the picture, cool red giant Betelgeuse [
http://www.astro.ui…] takes on a yellowish tint as the brightest star at the upper left. Otherwise Orion's hot blue stars are numerous, with supergiant Rigel [
http://www.astro.ui…rigel.html ] balancing Betelgeuse at the lower right, Bellatrix [
http://www.astro.wi…hr/1790.html ] at the upper right, and Saiph [
http://www.astro.wi…hr/2004.html ] at the lower left. Lined up in Orion's belt [
http://www.gb.nrao.…OrionTourCenter/belt .html ] (left to right) are Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka all about 1,500 light-years away, born of the constellation's well studied interstellar clouds [
http://www.seds.org…]. And if the middle "star" of Orion's sword looks reddish and fuzzy to you, it should. It's the stellar nursery known as the Great Nebula of Orion [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…].
Explanation
Orion [
http://www.astro.wi…Orion.html ], the Hunter, is one of the most easily recognizable constellations [
http://kids.msfc.na…Connect.asp ] in planet Earth's night sky [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. But Orion's stars [
http://www.gb.nrao.…optical.html ] and nebulae [
http://es.rice.edu/…orionpleiades.html ] don't look quite as colorful [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] to the eye as they do in this lovely photograph, taken last month from Vekol Ranch south of Phoenix [
http://www.psiaz.co…], Arizona, USA. The celestial scene [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] was recorded in a five minute time exposure using high-speed color print film and a 35mm camera mounted [
http://www.astropix…I0702/I0702.HTM ] on a small telescope. In the picture, cool red giant Betelgeuse [
http://www.astro.ui…] takes on a yellowish tint as the brightest star at the upper left. Otherwise Orion's hot blue stars are numerous, with supergiant Rigel [
http://www.astro.ui…rigel.html ] balancing Betelgeuse at the lower right, Bellatrix [
http://www.astro.wi…hr/1790.html ] at the upper right, and Saiph [
http://www.astro.wi…hr/2004.html ] at the lower left. Lined up in Orion's belt [
http://www.gb.nrao.…OrionTourCenter/belt .html ] (left to right) are Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka all about 1,500 light-years away, born of the constellation's well studied interstellar clouds [
http://www.seds.org…]. And if the middle "star" of Orion's sword looks reddish and fuzzy to you, it should. It's the stellar nursery known as the Great Nebula of Orion [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…].
Explanation
