Orion, the Hunter, houses the infamous and easily recognisable Horsehead Nebula, alternatively known as Barnard 33. In the 1800s, this distinct star nursery appeared in a photographic plate, the red colour coming from the hydrogen ionised by the bright Sigma Orionis. Thick dust forms the actual horse head, gas from the nebula funnelled by a strong magnetic field. It takes about 1500 years for light from the Horsehead to reach the Earth, seeing the 'baby pictures' of the bright spots of forming stellar objects.
No comments:
Post a Comment