An APEX view of star formation in the Orion Nebula

This dramatic new image of cosmic clouds in the constellation of Orion reveals what seems to be a fiery ribbon in the sky. The orange glow represents faint light coming from grains of cold interstellar dust, at wavelengths too long for human eyes to see. It was observed by the ESO-operated Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) in Chile.

In this image, the submillimetre-wavelength glow of the dust clouds is overlaid on a view of the region in the more familiar visible light, from the Digitized Sky Survey 2. The large bright cloud in the upper right of the image is the well-known Orion Nebula, also called Messier 42.

Credit:

ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2

About the Image

Id:eso1321a
Type:Observation
Release date:15 May 2013, 12:00
Related releases:eso1321
Size:9715 x 10444 px

About the Object

Name:Orion Molecular Cloud, Orion Nebula
Type:Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Dark
Distance:1400 light years
Constellation:Orion
Category:Nebulae

Image Formats

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35.7 MB
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469.2 KB

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Coordinates

Position (RA):5 35 17.35
Position (Dec):-6° 5' 27.66"
Field of view:163.20 x 175.44 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.2° right of vertical

Colours & filters

BandTelescope
OpticalDigitized Sky Survey 2
MillimeterAtacama Pathfinder Experiment