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ALNITAK of Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and Washington, D.C.
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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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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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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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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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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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