Posted on 09/21/2022 1:16:08 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: While drifting through the cosmos, a magnificent interstellar dust cloud became sculpted by stellar winds and radiation to assume a recognizable shape. Fittingly named the Horsehead Nebula, it is embedded in the vast and complex Orion Nebula (M42). A potentially rewarding but difficult object to view personally with a small telescope, the featured gorgeously detailed image was taken in infrared light by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. The dark molecular cloud, roughly 1,500 light years distant, is cataloged as Barnard 33 and is seen above primarily because it is backlit by the nearby massive star Sigma Orionis. The Horsehead Nebula will slowly shift its apparent shape over the next few million years and will eventually be destroyed by high energy starlight.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
Looks more like a dragon head to me.
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Here is the lastest picture of the "Horse's @ss Nebula"
The nebula was first recorded in 1888 by Scottish astronomer Williamina Fleming on a photographic plate taken at the Harvard College Observatory. They named it Horsehead Nebula because they did not have the drugs we have today.
Chuckling out Loud! Cheers - thanks for posting this picture.
Speaking of horse, Mr Ed, the famous talking horse was smarter than Brandon.
Is the horse head a bit more smashed than 50 years ago?
Seems like it looked more like a horse’s head at one time 🤔
Might be due to the IR spectrum.
Yeah I wondered if may that was the difference hmmmmm
This is an infrared image, so it looks different than the visible light image. I thought the same thing and compared the two.
Named after Horace Head, the first space pilot to explore the region.
Yeah quite a bit different.
I didn’t think it could change that much in even 50 years.
In space, which way is up? It’s all relative.
Flip the photo 180 degrees and you have the Grand Anchor nebula.
As it sits now, it could also be the Harley Handlebar Nebula.
(Harley Handlebar Nebula)
😆🤣
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