New Infrared View of Horsehead Nebula Released

Posted on April 19, 2013

A new infrared view of the Horsehead Nebula has been released to celebrate Hubble's 23rd year in orbit. Horsehead Nebula images have been among the most popular space imagery. The nebula is also a favorite target for amateur and professional astronomers.

The Horsehead Nebula is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud, which is located about 1,500 light-years away in the constellation Orion. The nebula glows because is illuminated by Sigma Orionis, a nearby star. According to Hubble/ESA, astronomers estimate the Horsehead formation has about five million years left before it disintegrates.

A large version of the image can be found here and a zoomable image can be found here on hubblesite.org.


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