Orion Nebula June 7, 2012
Posted by brunomarshall in Diffuse Nebula.Tags: Constellation of Orion, Diffuse Nebula, Great Nebula, Great Orion Nebula, M42, Messier 42, NGC 1976, Orion Nebula
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The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, NGC 1976, Great Nebula, or Great Orion Nebula ) is a diffuse nebula situated at the Orion’s Belt in the Constellation of Orion.[2]
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Orion Nebula it is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. (depending the month and our earth position).[2]
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Orion Nebula is located at a distance of 1,344 ± 20 light year, and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth.[2]
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The Orion Nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across. It has a mass of about 2000 times the mass of the Sun. [2]
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The nebula has revealed much about the process of how stars and planetary systems are formed from collapsing clouds of gas and dust.[2]
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Astronomers have directly observed protoplanetary disks, brown dwarfs, intense and turbulent motions of the gas, and the photo-ionizing effects of massive nearby stars in the nebula.[2]
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In the Orion Nebula there are also supersonic “bullets” of gas piercing the hydrogen clouds. Each bullet is ten times the diameter of Pluto‘s orbit and tipped with iron atoms glowing bright blue.[2]
Credits:
[1]-Stellarium
[2]-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula
[3]-http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081023.html
[4]-http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/M42HeartNMCropM.html
[5]-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Orion.Nebula.M42.Trapezium.Cluster.VIS-IR.HST.jpg
[6]-http://astronomycentral.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Water-and-organics-spectrum-Orion-Nebula.jpg
Astro Bruno Marshall 