The constellation known as Orion holds much more than simply 3 stars in a straight line. The three bright blue stars pictured are the stars that make up Orion's Belt. Below the lowest star of Orion's Belt, Alnitak, is the Flame Nebula, which glows with excited hydrogen gas. To its immediate right is the Horsehead Nebula, a dark formation of dense dust in the familiar shape of a horse's head. The formations found in this picture are estimated to be between 1,500-1,600 lightyears away from Earth. It is estimated that it would take approximately 13 lightyears to travel the expanse of the Horsehead Nebula alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment