Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2022 December 29
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             Horsehead and Flame
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Jason Close

   Explanation: [5]The Horsehead Nebula, famous celestial [6]dark marking
   also known as Barnard 33, is notched against a background glow of
   emission nebulae in [7]this sharp cosmic skyscape. About five
   light-years "tall" the Horsehead lies some 1,500 light-years away in
   the constellation [8]of Orion. Within the region's fertile molecular
   cloud complex, the expanse of obscuring dust has a recognizable shape
   only by chance from our perspective in the Milky Way though. Orion's
   easternmost belt star, bright Alnitak, is to the left of center.
   Energetic ultraviolet light from [9]Alnitak powers the glow of dusty
   NGC 2024, the [10]Flame Nebula, just below it. Completing a study in
   cosmic contrasts, bluish reflection [11]nebula NGC 2023 is below the
   Horsehead itself. This well-framed telescopic field spans about 3 full
   moons on the sky.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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    Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([26]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [27]Specific rights apply.
              [28]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC,
                         [32]NASA Science Activation
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2212/B33LRGB_fb.png
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.astrobin.com/users/AmargosaSky/
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220921.html
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090425.html
   7. https://www.astrobin.com/cpwtjv/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200329.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210412.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210417.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180329.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221228.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  21. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=221229
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221230.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  32. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/