August 29, 2022
In the grand ledger of cosmic time, a human life is breathtakingly brief. But brevity is not insignificance.
The Horsehead Nebula Region without Stars
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APOD published August 29, 2022. Credit: George Chatzifrantzis. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
The famous Horsehead Nebula in Orion is not alone. A deep exposure shows that the dark familiar shaped indentation, visible just right of center, is part of a vast complex of absorbing dust and glowing gas. The featured spectacular picture details an intricate tapestry of gaseous wisps and dust-laden filaments that were created and sculpted over eons by stellar winds and ancient supernovas. The Flame Nebula is visible in orange just to the Horsehead's left. To highlight the dust and gas, most of the stars have been digitally removed, although a notable exception is Alnitak, just above the Flame Nebula, which is the rightmost star in Orion's famous belt of three aligned stars. The Horsehead Nebula lies 1,500 light years distant towards the constellation of Orion. NASA Coverage: Artemis I Mission to the Moon Teachers & Students: Ideas for utilizing APOD in the classroom
Image credit: George Chatzifrantzis