PIX4617827: Orion Nebula - the trapeze - The Trapezium region in M42 - Located 1500 years - light, Orion Nebula is the closest region of formation of stars of the Sun. In the center of the picture, the Trapeze of Orion. The Trapeze is among the youngest known open clusters, it is made up of 4 massive stars that make the nebula shine. Image obtained with Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope. 30-sec poses. The central 'star' of the three groups forming the asterism of Orion's sword is in reality a nebula, and is clearly nebulous to the unaided eye. At the heart of the most luminous nebulosity shimmer a handful of stars known as the Trapezium cluster, visible in binoculars. These are the brightest members of a substantial cluster of stars, most of which are still hidden in the dusty recesses of the Orion nebula against which they are seen. The stars of the Trapezium provide much of the energy which makes the brilliant Orion Nebula visible and are at a distance of about 1500 light years. This image was made with three, 30 - second exposures at the prime focus of the Anglo - Australian Telescope / Bridgeman Images
PIX4617625: Orion Nebula M42 in Orion - The Orion Nebula - Located 1500 years - light, Orion Nebula (M42) is the closest region of formation of stars of the Sun. Above these are the NGC nebulae 1973-75-77. The Orion Nebula complex is easily visible to the unaided eye from a dark location as a patch of brightness surrounding Theta Orionis, the middle star in the sword of Orion the Hunter, the constellation which dominates the winter night sky.Located about 1500 light years away, the nebula glows red predominantly from the light of hydrogen gas excited by energetic newly formed stars in the heart of the nebula. It is the nearest star forming region to our own star, the Sun. NGC 1975, just above M42, is a complex of blue reflection nebulae mixed with dark lanes and a touch of red emission nebulae. The blue color comes from reflected starlight scattered by dust. North is up in this image. Composite of a 50 minute exposure and a 5 minute exposure on gas - hypersensitized Kodak Ektapress Multispeed PJM - 2 color negative film. Taken with an Astro - Physic's 130 EDT refractor at f/8 from Chatsworth NJ, USA on November 12, 1996 at 6:17 UT and 7:00 UT / Bridgeman Images