|
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An Orion Deep Field
| Title |
An Orion Deep Field |
| Explanation |
Adrift 1,500 light-years away in one of the night sky's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030207.html ] most recognizable constellations [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/ 88constellations.html ], the glowing Orion Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020213.html ] and the dark Horsehead Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010426.html ] are contrasting cosmic vistas. They both appear in this stunning composite digital image assembled from over 20 hours of data that includes exposures filtered to record emission from hydrogen atoms [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980828.html ]. The view reveals extensive nebulosities [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020530.html ] associated with the giant Orion Molecular Cloud complex [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/oricloud.html ], itself hundreds of light-years across. The magnificent emission region, the Orion Nebula [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n1976x.html ] (aka M42), lies at the upper right of the picture. Immediately to its left are a cluster of of prominent bluish reflection nebulae [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031002.html ] sometimes called the Running Man. The Horsehead [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/b33x.html ] nebula appears as a dark cloud, a small silhouette notched against the long red glow at the lower left. Alnitak [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/ belt.html ] is the easternmost star in Orion's belt and is seen as the brightest star to the left of the Horsehead. Below Alnitak is the Flame Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990713.html ], with clouds of bright emission and dramatic dark dust lanes. Fainter tendrils of glowing hydrogen gas are easily traced throughout the region in this Orion deep field [ http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/Oriondeepfield.html ]. |
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A Path To Orion
| Title |
A Path To Orion |
| Explanation |
Last Saturday, the Space Shuttle Discovery [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html ] lit up the night as it climbed into orbit above planet Earth [ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/ multimedia/fd1/fd1_gallery.html ]. From Oak Hill, Florida, USA - about 30 miles north of the Kennedy Space Center - design engineer Andrew Arigema tracked the shuttle and recorded a four minute time exposure of the exhaust plume along Discovery's path against the background of the starry sky. At the upper left, the end of the drifting plume is punctuated by [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051013.html ] Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka in a vertical line, the belt stars of Orion [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/ index.html ]. To the right of the belt stars, the pinkish jewel in Orion's [ http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/planetarium/constellations/ orion.html ] sword is not a star at all, but the great Orion Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061120.html ]. Still farther to the right, at the foot of the hunter, lies Rigel, the brightest star in view. Rigel is [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/rigel.html ] a hot supergiant star some 700 light-years in the distance. |
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The Orion Deep Field
| Title |
The Orion Deep Field |
| Explanation |
Adrift 1,500 light-years away in one of the night sky's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030207.html ] most recognizable constellations [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/ 88constellations.html ], the glowing Orion Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020213.html ] and the dark Horsehead Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010426.html ] are contrasting cosmic vistas. But even fainter filaments of glowing gas are easily traced throughout the region in this stunning composite image [ http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/ODFNM.html ] that includes exposures filtered to record emission from hydrogen atoms [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980828.html ]. The view reveals extensive nebulosities [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020530.html ] associated with the giant Orion Molecular Cloud complex [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/oricloud.html ], itself hundreds of light-years across. A magnificent emission region, the Orion Nebula [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n1976x.html ] (aka M42) lies at the upper right of the picture. Immediately to its left are a cluster of prominent bluish reflection nebulae [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031002.html ] sometimes called the Running Man. The Horsehead [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/b33x.html ] nebula appears as a dark cloud, a small silhouette notched against the long red glow left of center. Alnitak [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/ belt.html ] is the easternmost star in Orion's belt and the brightest star to the left of the Horsehead. Below Alnitak is the Flame Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990713.html ], with clouds of bright emission and dramatic dark dust lanes. Completing the trio of Orion's belt [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061229.html ] stars, bluish Alnilam and Mintaka form a line with Alnitak, extending to the upper left. |
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Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka
| Title |
Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka |
| Explanation |
Alnitak [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/alnitak.html ], Alnilam [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/alnilam.html ], and Mintaka [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/mintaka.html ], are the bright bluish stars from east to west (left to right) along the diagonal in this gorgeous cosmic vista. Otherwise known as the Belt of Orion [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/ belt.html ], these three blue supergiant stars are hotter and much more massive than the Sun. They lie about 1,500 light-years away, born of Orion's [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/ optical.html ] well-studied interstellar clouds. In fact, clouds of gas and dust adrift in this region have intriguing and some surprisingly familiar shapes, including the dark Horsehead [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051130.html ] Nebula and Flame Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990713.html ] near Alnitak at the lower left. The famous Orion [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061216.html ] Nebula itself lies off the bottom of this star field that covers an impressive 4.4x3.5 degrees on the sky. The color picture was composited from digitized [ http://www-gsss.stsci.edu/SkySurveys/SkySurveys.htm ] black and white photographic plates recorded through red and blue astronomical filters, with a computer synthesized green channel. The plates were taken using the Samuel Oschin Telescope [ http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomarnew/sot.html ], a wide-field survey instrument at Palomar Observatory [ http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomarnew/ ], between 1987 and 1991. |
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Orion Nebulosities
| Title |
Orion Nebulosities |
| Explanation |
Adrift 1,500 light-years away in one of the night sky's most recognizable constellations [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/ 88constellations.html ], the glowing Orion Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020213.html ] and the dark Horsehead Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010426.html ] are contrasting cosmic vistas. They both appear in this stunning composite color photograph along with other nebulosities [ http://casswww.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/ ISM.html ] as part of the giant Orion Molecular Cloud complex [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/oricloud.html ], itself hundreds of light-years across. The magnificent Orion Nebula [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n1976x.html ] (aka M42) lies at the bottom of the image. This emission nebula's bright central [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap971118.html ] regions were captured on fast film in a relatively short 30 second exposure. Above M42 [ http://vis.sdsc.edu/research/orion.html ] are a cluster of prominent bluish reflection nebulae [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010722.html ] and fainter reddish emission nebulae recorded in additional exposures lasting up to 40 minutes. The Horsehead [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/b33x.html ] appears as a dark nebula, a small silhouette notched against the long red glow at the upper left. Alnitak [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/ belt.html ] is the easternmost star in Orion's belt and is seen as the brightest star above the Horsehead. Immediately to Alnitak's left is the Flame Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990713.html ], with clouds of bright emission and dramatic dark dust lanes. The telescopic exposures were made from a site in the Southern French Alps at an altitude of 2,800 meters (a little closer to the stars!) in September of 2001. |
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Orion on Film
| Title |
Orion on Film |
| Explanation |
Orion [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/ Orion.html ], the Hunter, is one of the most easily recognizable constellations [ http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/Puzzles/Connect/ Connect.asp ] in planet Earth's night sky [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021115.html ]. But Orion's stars [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/ optical.html ] and nebulae [ http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/Student_Work/Astronomy95/ orionpleiades.html ] don't look quite as colorful [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961202.html ] to the eye as they do in this lovely photograph, taken last month from Vekol Ranch south of Phoenix [ http://www.psiaz.com/polakis/azsites/azsites.html ], Arizona, USA. The celestial scene [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021225.html ] was recorded in a five minute time exposure using high-speed color print film and a 35mm camera mounted [ http://www.astropix.com/HTML/I_ASTROP/I07/ I0702/I0702.HTM ] on a small telescope. In the picture, cool red giant Betelgeuse [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/betelgeuse.html ] 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.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/ rigel.html ] balancing Betelgeuse at the lower right, Bellatrix [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ hr/1790.html ] at the upper right, and Saiph [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ hr/2004.html ] at the lower left. Lined up in Orion's belt [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/ 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/messier/more/oricloud.html ]. 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.nasa.gov/apod/ap021220.html ]. |
|
An Orion Deep Field
| Title |
An Orion Deep Field |
| Explanation |
Adrift 1,500 light-years away in one of the night sky's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030207.html ] most recognizable constellations [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/ 88constellations.html ], the glowing Orion Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020213.html ] and the dark Horsehead Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010426.html ] are contrasting cosmic vistas. They both appear in this stunning composite digital image assembled from over 20 hours of data that includes exposures filtered to record emission from hydrogen atoms [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980828.html ]. The view reveals extensive nebulosities [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020530.html ] associated with the giant Orion Molecular Cloud complex [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/oricloud.html ], itself hundreds of light-years across. The magnificent emission region, the Orion Nebula [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n1976x.html ] (aka M42), lies at the upper right of the picture. Immediately to its left are a cluster of of prominent bluish reflection nebulae [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031002.html ] sometimes called the Running Man. The Horsehead [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/b33x.html ] nebula appears as a dark cloud, a small silhouette notched against the long red glow at the lower left. Alnitak [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/ belt.html ] is the easternmost star in Orion's belt and is seen as the brightest star to the left of the Horsehead. Below Alnitak is the Flame Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990713.html ], with clouds of bright emission and dramatic dark dust lanes. Fainter tendrils of glowing hydrogen gas are easily traced throughout the region in this Orion deep field [ http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/Oriondeepfield.html ]. |
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Comet SOHO and Nebulae in Or
…
| Title |
Comet SOHO and Nebulae in Orion |
| Explanation |
Astrophotographer Michael Horn [ http://www.ozemail.com.au/~mhorn/photos.html ] captured this gorgeous view [ http://www.ozemail.com.au/~mhorn/soho.html ] of comet SOHO [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980520.html ] in the dark night sky above Wandibindle, Queensland, Australia on May 23rd. On this date, comet SOHO [ http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html ] was moving [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980514.html ] against the background of the nebula-rich constellation of Orion [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980305.html ]. South is up in the picture which shows SOHO's bright head or coma [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980410.html ] and long tail extending past the glowing gas clouds and dark dust lanes of the Flame [ http://www.astrocruise.com/flame.htm ] and Horsehead [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap971025.html ] nebulae. Alnitak [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/hr/1948.html ], the bright star above and to the right of the cometary coma, is also known as Zeta Orionis, the eastern-most of the three stars in Orion's belt [ http://www.adler.uchicago.edu/ISE/ORION4.HTM ]. Southern Hemisphere observers report that comet SOHO [ http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov/RecentObs.html#98J1 ] has recently undergone a dramatic increase in brightness. |
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Barnard's Loop Around Orion
| Title |
Barnard's Loop Around Orion |
| Explanation |
Why is the belt of Orion [ http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/O/OrionsBelt.html ] surrounded by a bubble? Although glowing like an emission nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html ], the origin of the bubble, known as Barnard's Loop [ http://weblore.com/richard/barnard's_loop.htm ], is currently unknown. Progenitor hypotheses include the wind [ http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wsolwind.html ]s from bright Orion stars and the supernovas [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/snr.html ] of stars long gone. Barnard's Loop [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/b-loop.html ] is too faint to be identified with the unaided eye. The nebula [ http://eaa.iop.org/abstract/0333750888/5287 ] was discovered only in 1895 by E. E. Barnard [ http://astro.uchicago.edu/yerkes/virtualmuseum/Barnardfull.html ] on long duration film exposures. Orion's belt [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/belt.html ] is seen as the three bright stars across the center of the image, the upper two noticeably blue. Just to the right of the lowest star in Orion's belt [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/alnitak.html ] is a slight indentation in an emission nebula that, when seen at higher magnification [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040115.html ], resolves into the Horsehead Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050321.html ]. To the right of the belt stars is the bright, famous, and photogenic Orion Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040927.html ]. |
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The Flame Nebula in Infrared
| Title |
The Flame Nebula in Infrared |
| Explanation |
What lights up the Flame Nebula? Fifteen hundred light years away towards the constellation of Orion [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Orion.html ] lies a nebula which, from its glow and dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990509.html ] lanes, appears like a billowing fire. But fire [ http://tqd.advanced.org/2861/fire.html ], the rapid acquisition of oxygen [ http://chemlab.pc.maricopa.edu/periodic/O.html ], is not what makes this Flame [ http://www.astrocruise.com/flame.htm ] glow. Rather the bright star Alnitak [ http://einstein.stcloudstate.edu/Dome/clicks/alnitak.html ], the easternmost star in the Belt of Orion [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980829.html ] visible to the nebula's right, shines energetic light into the Flame [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1997IAUS..182P..18M ] that knocks electrons away from the great clouds of hydrogen [ http://www-tech.mit.edu/Chemicool/elements/hydrogen.html ] gas that reside there. Much of the glow results when the electrons [ http://pburton.maps.susx.ac.uk/scoap/physwrld/physwrld.htm ] and ionized hydrogen recombine. The above false-color picture [ http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/2mass/gallery/powarc.html ] of the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) was taken in infrared [ http://www.us-gemini.noao.edu/public/infrared.html ] light, where a young star cluster becomes visible. The Flame Nebula [ http://www.astrocruise.com/alnitak.htm ] is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap971201.html ], a star-forming region that includes the famous Horsehead Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990519.html ]. |
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Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka
| Title |
Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka |
| Explanation |
Alnitak [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/alnitak.html ], Alnilam [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/alnilam.html ], and Mintaka [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/mintaka.html ], are the bright bluish stars from east to west (left to right) along the diagonal in this gorgeous cosmic vista. Otherwise known as the Belt of Orion [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/ belt.html ], these three blue supergiant stars are hotter and much more massive than the Sun. They lie about 1,500 light-years away, born of Orion's [ http://www.gb.nrao.edu/~rmaddale/Education/OrionTourCenter/ optical.html ] well-studied interstellar clouds. In fact, clouds of gas and dust adrift in this region have intriguing and some surprisingly familiar shapes, including the dark Horsehead [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010426.html ] Nebula and Flame Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990713.html ] near Alnitak at the lower left. The famous Orion Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050918.html ] itself lies off the bottom of this star field that covers an impressive 4.4x3.5 degrees on the sky. The color picture was composited from digitized [ http://www-gsss.stsci.edu/Dss/dss_home.HTM ] black and white photographic plates recorded through red and blue astronomical filters, with a computer synthesized green channel. The plates were taken using the Samuel Oschin Telescope [ http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomarnew/sot.html ], a wide-field survey instrument at Palomar Observatory [ http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomarnew/ ], between 1987 and 1991. |
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A Flame in Orion's Belt
nasa, wisemultimediagallery
This mosaic image taken by N
…
503514main_pia13448
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2010-12-02 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
503514main_pia13448 |
|
Decorating the Sky
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
This mosaic image taken by N
…
507669main_pia13448
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2010-12-27 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
507669main_pia13448 |
|
|
