Impressive view of my favorite constellation

[pokerfan]

Orion: Head to Toe


Credit & Copyright: Rogelio Bernal Andreo

Explanation: Cradled in cosmic dust and glowing hydrogen, stellar nurseries in Orion the Hunter lie at the edge of a giant molecular cloud some 1,500 light-years away. Spanning nearly 25 degrees, this breath-taking vista stretches across the well-known constellation from head to toe (left to right). The Great Orion Nebula, the closest large star forming region, is right of center. To its left are the Horsehead Nebula, M78, and Orion's belt stars. Sliding your cursor over the picture will also find red giant Betelgeuse at the hunter's shoulder, bright blue Rigel at his foot, and the glowing Lambda Orionis (Meissa) nebula at the far left, near Orion's head. Of course, the Orion Nebula and bright stars are easy to see with the unaided eye, but dust clouds and emission from the extensive interstellar gas in this nebula-rich complex, are too faint and much harder to record. In this mosaic of broadband telescopic images, additional image data acquired with a narrow hydrogen alpha filter was used to bring out the pervasive tendrils of energized atomic hydrogen gas and the arc of the giant Barnard's Loop.

Be sure to go here for the embiggened image: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap101023.html

And be sure to hover your mouse over the image to bring up identifying labels.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. Thanks...I was looking for a new desktop pic...and this is it!

My favorite constellation as well!

[SheilaT]

2. Unfortunately,

the image won't load for me.

[Zoigal]

3. Beautiful picture, great commentary...and a super desktop photo. Thanks....z

[Odin2005]

4. WOW, I didn't know that nebula region was so HUGE!

[eppur_se_muova]

6. The longer the exposure, the bigger it gets ...

with binoculars, you can just make out the green glow around the "jewel in the sword".

The wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula has lots of interesting details.

[applegrove]

5. That's beautiful!!!

[MuseRider]

7. My favorite as well.

As a lonely kid I used to think it was my guardian. I could see it outside my bedroom window and it made me feel safe. Odd I suppose but I look for it every night when it is in the sky.

Thanks, that is a stunning photo.

[pokerfan]

8. and featured the Robert Frost poem, The Star-Splitter

You know Orion always comes up sideways.
Throwing a leg up over our fence of mountains,
And rising on his hands, he looks in on me
Busy outdoors by lantern-light with something...

http://www.readprint.com/work-708/The-Star-Splitter-Robert-Frost

[MuseRider]

9. Thank you for that.

I like it.