April 13, 2016
The constellations may be old, but the person celebrating beneath them is gloriously new by cosmic standards.
Orion in Red and Blue
Birthday · April 13, 2016
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APOD published April 13, 2016. Credit: David Lindemann. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
When did Orion become so flashy? This colorful rendition of part of the constellation of Orion comes from red light emitted by hydrogen and sulfur (SII), and blue-green light emitted by oxygen (OIII). Hues on the featured image were then digitally reassigned to be indicative of their elemental origins -- but also striking to the human eye. The breathtaking composite was painstakingly composed from hundreds of images which took nearly 200 hours to collect. Pictured, Barnard's Loop, across the image bottom, appears to cradle interstellar constructs including the intricate Orion Nebula seen just right of center. The Flame Nebula can also be quickly located, but it takes a careful eye to identify the slight indentation of the dark Horsehead Nebula. As to Orion's flashiness -- a leading explanation for the origin of Barnard's Loop is a supernova blast that occurred about two million years ago. Share the Sky: NASA Open API for APOD
Image credit: David Lindemann