walter12282000
M42/43 - Great Orion Nebula, NGC 1973/75/77 - Running Man Nebula
The Great Orion Nebula stands out as one of the most wonderful telescopic objects in the sky. The central area is the so-called Huygenian Region, which is a bright zone sharply bounded on the south side, into which protrudes a dark nebula, not unlike the Horsehead Nebula, but more diffuse. The whole area is sprinkled with small stars, many of which are known to be "dust variables", which flicker as dust swirls in and out of their newly born atmospheres. In this region active star birth is taking place. Infrared images of the area "see through" the nebula and reveal young stars newly formed. In Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images the dark globules surrounding these stars can be seen. They are born in dense clouds of dust and gas from the nebula. The Trapezium at the heart of M42 is a remarkable multiple star with four easy components and two which are more difficult to observe, those are hot B-type stars belonging to the Orion Association which are quite young, born in the nebula itself. The three belt stars of Orion as well as the stars Rigel are also part of this association. The whole figure of Orion is alight with faint nebulous light coming from gas excited by these stars.
The Orion Nebula is located at a distance of about 1.500 light years.
NGC 1973/75/77, the Running Man Nebula or Apeman Nebula (located in the upper part in the photograph), is another example of a mixed emission/reflexion/absortion nebula often overlooked because of the much brighter Orion Nebula just half a degree to the south. It is beautifully located in-between and around a group of bright stars. Most of the blue nebulosity is starlight scattered by dust, but some of the stars are sufficiently hot to excite the wisps of hydrogen that linger here and create the distinctive red glow.
M42/43 - Great Orion Nebula, NGC 1973/75/77 - Running Man Nebula
The Great Orion Nebula stands out as one of the most wonderful telescopic objects in the sky. The central area is the so-called Huygenian Region, which is a bright zone sharply bounded on the south side, into which protrudes a dark nebula, not unlike the Horsehead Nebula, but more diffuse. The whole area is sprinkled with small stars, many of which are known to be "dust variables", which flicker as dust swirls in and out of their newly born atmospheres. In this region active star birth is taking place. Infrared images of the area "see through" the nebula and reveal young stars newly formed. In Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images the dark globules surrounding these stars can be seen. They are born in dense clouds of dust and gas from the nebula. The Trapezium at the heart of M42 is a remarkable multiple star with four easy components and two which are more difficult to observe, those are hot B-type stars belonging to the Orion Association which are quite young, born in the nebula itself. The three belt stars of Orion as well as the stars Rigel are also part of this association. The whole figure of Orion is alight with faint nebulous light coming from gas excited by these stars.
The Orion Nebula is located at a distance of about 1.500 light years.
NGC 1973/75/77, the Running Man Nebula or Apeman Nebula (located in the upper part in the photograph), is another example of a mixed emission/reflexion/absortion nebula often overlooked because of the much brighter Orion Nebula just half a degree to the south. It is beautifully located in-between and around a group of bright stars. Most of the blue nebulosity is starlight scattered by dust, but some of the stars are sufficiently hot to excite the wisps of hydrogen that linger here and create the distinctive red glow.