The image above represents a part of the Orion nebula (M42, Messier 42, NGC 1976), taken by the Hubble telescope and released November 1, 2006. Source: Wikipedia Commons.
The Orion nebula has a diameter of about 24 light years and is approximately 1 300 light years from the earth (about 400 parsecs). The nebula is the closest known area in the Milky Way where star formation can be observed.
The Orion nebula is the second “star” in the sword under Orion’s belt. In the picture to the right, it is extra bright.
Read more about the Orion nebula on Wikipedia.
Images:
- Header image: by NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), Public Domain, Link
- Orion: by Skatebiker at English Wikipedia, Public Domain, Link
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