October 10, 2006
The oldest light in the universe still hums faintly through space, a relic of the beginning itself.
Reflection Nebulas in Orion
Birthday · October 10, 2006
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APOD published October 10, 2006. Credit: T. Rector. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
In the vast Orion Molecular Cloud complex, several bright blue nebulas are particularly apparent. Pictured above are two of the most prominent reflection nebulas - dust clouds lit by the reflecting light of bright embedded stars. The more famous nebula is M78, near the image center, cataloged over 200 years ago. On the upper left is the lesser known NGC 2071. The image was taken with the Mayall 4-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA. Astronomers continue to study these reflection nebulas to better understand how interior stars form. The Orion complex lies about 1500 light-years distant, contains the Orion and Horsehead nebulas, and covers much of the constellation of Orion.
Image credit: T. Rector