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25 Images to Celebrate NASA's Chandra 25th Anniversary
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of its launch, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is releasing 25 never-before-seen views of a wide range of cosmic objects.
M 78
Orion's Belt
This image is part of the image comparison "Sifting through Dust near Orion’s Belt (mouseover comparison)"
Messier 42
The orbit of Theta1 Orionis C
The first VLTI image is that of the double star Theta1 Orionis C in the Orion Nebula Trapezium. From these, and several other observations, the team of astronomers, led by Stefan Kraus and Gerd Weigelt from the Max-Planck Institute in Bonn, could obtain the full orbit of the two stars in the...
Messier 42
The Orion Nebula (M42)
The individual images of the Orion Nebula where obtained with WFI at the ESO/MPG 2.2m telescope on the night of Dec.10-11, 2001. Several images were obtained in the following filters: U (363.690 nm; 15 images for a total exposure time of 1.25 hour); B (456.252 nm; 14 images; total exp.: 21...
Orion Molecular Cloud
The Orion A molecular cloud (for comparison)
This image from the VISTA infrared survey telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in northern Chile is part of the largest infrared high-resolution mosaic of Orion ever created. It covers the Orion A molecular cloud, the nearest known massive star factory, lying about 1350 light-years from...
Orion Molecular Cloud
Orion Molecular Cloud in visible light (for comparison)
Visible light view of the region of the Orion Molecular Cloud from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS)
Orion Nebula
Orion "Bullets" with GeMS
This image is just one of millions of astronomical images processed using IRAF. Obtained during the late commissioning phase of the GeMS adaptive optics system, with the Gemini South AO Imager (GSAOI) on the night of 28 December 2012, it reveals exquisite details in the outskirts of the Orion...
M 42
The Orion Nebula*
This new image of the Orion Nebula was captured using the Wide Field Imager camera on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory, Chile. This image is a composite of several exposures taken through a total of five different filters. Light that passed through a red filter, as...
Messier 42
Infrared/visible comparison of an extract from the VISTA Orion Nebula image
The left-hand panel shows a dusty region of the Orion Nebula in visible light. On the right the VISTA infrared view is shown. By observing infrared light many new features appear, including many young stars and their outflows. These strange features are of great interest to astronomers studying...
Messier 42
Extracts from the VISTA infrared image of the Orion Nebula
On the upper-left, the central region of VISTA’s view of the Orion Nebula is shown, centred on the four dazzling stars of the Trapezium. A rich cluster of young stars can be seen here that is invisible in normal, visible light images. In the lower-right panel the part of the nebula to the north...
Messier 42
Infrared/visible comparison of the full VISTA Orion Nebula image
The left-hand panel shows the Orion Nebula in visible light. Most of the light from the spectacular clouds comes from hydrogen gas glowing under the fierce ultraviolet glare from the central hot young stars. The region above the centre is clearly obscured by dust clouds. On the right the VISTA...
Flame Nebula
The region of Orion’s Belt and the Flame Nebula
This spectacular visible light wide-field view of part of the famous belt of the great celestial hunter Orion shows the region of the sky around the Flame Nebula. The whole image is filled with glowing gas clouds illuminated by hot blue young stars. It was created from photographs in red and...
M 42
VISTA's infrared view of the Orion Nebula*
This wide-field view of the Orion Nebula (Messier 42), lying about 1350 light-years from Earth, was taken with the VISTA infrared survey telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The new telescope’s huge field of view allows the whole nebula and its surroundings to be imaged in a single...
Orion Molecular Cloud
The Orion a molecular cloud from VISTA
This image from the VISTA infrared survey telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in northern Chile is part of the largest infrared high-resolution mosaic of Orion ever created. It covers the Orion A molecular cloud, the nearest known massive star factory, lying about 1350 light-years from...
Messier 42
The Orion Nebula spied by Hawk-I
The central region of the Orion Nebula (M42, NGC 1976) as seen in the near-infrared by the High Acuity Wide field K-band Imager (HAWK-I) instrument at ESO's Very Large Telescope at Paranal.
M 42
MUSE image of the Orion Nebula
This colour composite of the Orion Nebula was created from data from the new MUSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. For each part of this spectacular star formation region this new instrument splits the light up into its component colours — revealing in detail the chemical and physical...
Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS 2)
Wide-field view of part of Orion in visible light
This wide-field view shows a region of sky in the famous constellation of Orion (The Hunter), as seen in visible light. The large, bright feature at the top of the image is the well-known Orion Nebula (Messier 42). This view was created from images forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2.
Orion Molecular Cloud
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...
Orion Nebula
ALMA Reveals Inner Web of Stellar Nursery
This spectacular and unusual image shows part of the famous Orion Nebula, a star formation region lying about 1350 light-years from Earth. It combines a mosaic of millimetre wavelength images from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the IRAM 30-metre telescope, shown in...
JW206
Example of a jellyfish galaxy
Observations of “Jellyfish galaxies” with ESO’s Very Large Telescope have revealed a previously unknown way to fuel supermassive black holes. It seems the mechanism that produces the tentacles of gas and newborn stars that give these galaxies their nickname also makes it possible for the gas to...
JW100
Example of a jellyfish galaxy
Observations of “Jellyfish galaxies” with ESO’s Very Large Telescope have revealed a previously unknown way to fuel supermassive black holes. It seems the mechanism that produces the tentacles of gas and newborn stars that give these galaxies their nickname also makes it possible for the gas to...
OMC
ALMA views a stellar explosion in Orion
Stellar explosions are most often associated with supernovae, the spectacular deaths of stars. But new ALMA observations of the Orion Nebula complex provide insights into explosions at the other end of the stellar life cycle, star birth. Astronomers captured these dramatic images of the...
ALMA view of an explosive event in Orion
Stellar explosions are most often associated with supernovae, the spectacular deaths of stars. But new ALMA observations of the Orion Nebula complex provide insights into explosions at the other end of the stellar life cycle, star birth. Astronomers captured these dramatic images of the remains...
Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula and cluster from the VLT Survey Telescope
OmegaCAM — the wide-field optical camera on ESO’s VLT Survey Telescope (VST) — has captured the spectacular Orion Nebula and its associated cluster of young stars in great detail, producing this beautiful new image. This famous object, the birthplace of many massive stars, is one of the...
M 42
A deep infrared view of the Orion Nebula from HAWK-I
This spectacular image of the Orion Nebula star-formation region was obtained from multiple exposures using the HAWK-I infrared camera on ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. This is the deepest view ever of this region and reveals more very faint planetary-mass objects than expected.
V* V2423 Ori
A stellar sprinkler (alternative colour view)
This is the young stellar object 244-440 in the Orion Nebula observed with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) –– the sharpest image ever taken of this object. The data were obtained with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument, with red, green and blue colours mapping the...
V* V2423 Ori
A stellar sprinkler
This Picture of the Week shows the young stellar object 244-440 in the Orion Nebula observed with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) –– the sharpest image ever taken of this object. That wiggly magenta structure is a jet of matter launched close to the star, but why does it have that shape? Very...
M 42
The Trapezium cluster
The Orion Nebula is arguably the finest of all nebulae within the Milky Way visible from the Northern Hemisphere. With a gaseous repository of 10,000 suns, and illuminated by a cluster of hot young stars, the clouds of Messier 42 — as it is also known — glow with fantastic colours and shapes,...
Becklin-Neugebauer Object
The Becklin-Neugebauer object
Composite (false-) colour image obtained by NAOS-CONICA of the region around the Becklin-Neugebauer object that is deeply embedded in the Orion Nebula. It is based on two exposures, one in the light of shock-excited molecular hydrogen line (H 2 ; wavelength 2.12 µm; here rendered as blue) and...
Orion Nebula
The Trapezium cluster
This image shows a colour composite of near-infrared images of the central regions of the Orion Nebula, obtained on March 14, 2000, with the SOFI instrument at the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at La Silla. Three exposures were made through J- (wavelength 1.25 µm here colour-coded as...
Messier 42
Very young brown dwarfs in the Orion Nebula
This is an animated GIF of a colour composite of near-infrared images of the central regions of the Orion Nebula and its corresponding finding chart, obtained on March 14, 2000, with the SOFI instrument at the ESO 3.5-m New Technology Telescope (NTT) at La Silla. Three exposures were made...
Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula and Trapezium cluster (detail)
This image shows smaller, particularly interesting areas of ESO Press Photo eso0104a. The traces of a massive outflow of gas from a very young object embedded in the dense molecular cloud behind the Orion Nebula. Shards of gas from the explosion create shocks and leave bow-waves as they move at...
Messier 42
The Orion Nebula: The jewel in the sword
This image shows smaller, particularly interesting areas of ESO Press Photo eso0104a. It shows the delicate tracery created at the so-called Bright Bar, as the intense UV-light and strong winds from the hot Trapezium stars eat their way into the surrounding molecular cloud. Also visible are a...
M 42
Orion Nebula detail
ESO Press Photo eso0104d shows a small section of the observational data (in one infrared spectral band only, here reproduced in B/W) on which ESO Press Photo eso0104a is based. The field is centred on one of the famous Orion silhouette disks (Orion 114-426) (it is located approximately...
M 42
The Orion Nebula*
This photo shows a colour composite mosaic image of the central part of the Orion Nebula, based on 81 images obtained with the infrared multi-mode ISAAC instrument on the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory. The famous Trapezium stars are seen near the centre and the photo...
Orion Nebula
Colour rendering of Orion Nebula area
This is a composite of three 1-min exposures of the Orion Nebula through narrow band filters centred on the 2.166 micron Br-gamma atomic hydrogen line (here reproduced in blue colour), the 1.257 micron [FeII] line (green) and the 2.12 micron 1-0 S(1) molecular hydrogen line (red). The colour...
Orion Nebula
Orion Bar (NIRCam Image)
This image taken by Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) shows a part of the Orion Nebula known as the Orion Bar. It is a region where energetic ultraviolet light from the Trapezium Cluster — located off the upper-left corner — interacts with dense molecular clouds. The energy of the stellar...
Orion Nebula
Orion Bar (MIRI Image)
This image from Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) shows a small region of the Orion Nebula. At the center of this view is a young star system with a protoplanetary disk named d203-506. An international team of astronomers detected a new carbon molecule known as methyl cation for the first...
Orion Nebula
Orion Bar Collage (NIRCam and MIRI Images)
These Webb images show a part of the Orion Nebula known as the Orion Bar. It is a region where energetic ultraviolet light from the Trapezium Cluster — located off the upper-left corner — interacts with dense molecular clouds. The energy of the stellar radiation is slowly eroding the Orion Bar,...
Spire in Eagle Nebula
A Sample of Images from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys
Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) forever changed our view of the universe. Two decades into its epic mission, ACS continues to deliver ground-breaking science and stunning images. ACS has taken over 125,000 pictures and spawned numerous discoveries. Here is a portfolio of some of the...
Orion Nebula
Hubble Shows Torrential Outflows from Infant Stars May Not Stop Them from Growing
A Star is Born Though our galaxy is an immense city of at least 200 billion stars, the details of how they formed remain largely cloaked in mystery. Scientists know that stars form from the collapse of huge hydrogen clouds that are squeezed under gravity to the point where nuclear fusion...
M 42
The Orion Nebula
This color-composite mosaic of the central part of the Orion Nebula is based on 81 images from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The famous Trapezium stars appear near the center, amid the Trapezium Cluster, the very crowded home...
Orion Nebula
NASA Space Telescopes Provide a 3D Journey Through the Orion Nebula
Visible and Infrared Visualization of the Orion Nebula (Artist's Concept)
Orion Nebula
NASA Space Telescopes Provide a 3D Journey Through the Orion Nebula
Visible and Infrared Visualization of the Orion Nebula (Artist's Concept)
Orion Nebula
NASA Space Telescopes Provide a 3D Journey Through the Orion Nebula
Visible and Infrared Visualization of the Orion Nebula (Artist's Concept)
Orion Nebula
Hubble Survey for Substellar Objects in Orion Nebula
Substellar Objects in Orion Nebula This image is part of a Hubble Space Telescope survey for low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planets in the Orion Nebula. Each symbol identifies a pair of objects, which can be seen in the symbol's center as a single dot of light. Special image processing...
Orion Nebula
Hubble Survey for Substellar Objects in Orion Nebula
Substellar Objects in Orion Nebula This image is part of a Hubble Space Telescope survey for low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planets in the Orion Nebula. Each symbol identifies a pair of objects, which can be seen in the symbol's center as a single dot of light. Special image processing...
Orion Nebula
Hubble Discovery of Runaway Star Yields Clues to Breakup of Multiple-Star System
Star Is Missing Link to a System that Flew Apart Over 500 Years Ago In the 1400s, two power struggles were taking place quadrillions of miles apart. In England, two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet were battling each other for control of the country's throne. And, in a nebula...
Orion Nebula
Hubble Discovery of Runaway Star Yields Clues to Breakup of Multiple-Star System
Star Is Missing Link to a System that Flew Apart Over 500 Years Ago In the 1400s, two power struggles were taking place quadrillions of miles apart. In England, two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet were battling each other for control of the country's throne. And, in a nebula...
Orion Nebula
Hubble Discovery of Runaway Star Yields Clues to Breakup of Multiple-Star System
Star Is Missing Link to a System that Flew Apart Over 500 Years Ago In the 1400s, two power struggles were taking place quadrillions of miles apart. In England, two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet were battling each other for control of the country's throne. And, in a nebula...
Orion Nebula
Hubble's Sharpest View of the Orion Nebula
This dramatic image offers a peek inside a cavern of roiling dust and gas where thousands of stars are forming. The image, taken by the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) aboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, represents the sharpest view ever taken of this region, called the Orion Nebula. More...
Orion Nebula
Spitzer and Hubble Create Colorful Masterpiece
A new image from NASA's Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes looks more like an abstract painting than a cosmic snapshot. The magnificent masterpiece shows the Orion nebula in an explosion of infrared, ultraviolet and visible-light colors. It was "painted" by hundreds of baby stars on a...
Orion Nebula
Abstract Art Found in the Orion Nebula
Close inspection of the 2006 Hubble Space Telescope color mosaic of the Orion Nebula (M42) reveals numerous treasures that reside within the nearby, intense star- forming region. Southwest of the Trapezium stars located in the center of the nebula, a stunning Hubble Heritage portrait captures a...
Orion Nebula
Failing Stars
The faint red stars in this close-up image are the myriad brown dwarfs that Hubble spied for the first time in the Orion Nebula in visible light. Sometimes called "failed stars," brown dwarfs are cool objects that are too small to be ordinary stars because they cannot sustain nuclear fusion in...
Orion Nebula
Over the Edge
This dark red column shows an illuminated edge of the cavity wall.
Orion Nebula
Sculpting the Landscape
This glowing region reveals arcs and bubbles formed when stellar winds -- streams of charged particles ejected by the Trapezium stars -- collide with material.
Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula's Biggest Stars
Packed into the center of this region are bright lights of the Trapezium stars, the four heftiest stars in the Orion Nebula. Ultraviolet light unleashed by these stars is carving a cavity in the nebula and disrupting the growth of hundreds of smaller stars. The dark speck near the bottom, right...
Orion Nebula
Pillars of Gas
These dense, dark pillars of dust and gas are resisting erosion from intense ultraviolet light released by the Orion Nebula's biggest stars.
M43
Orion in Miniature
A massive star is illuminating this small region, called M43, and sculpting the landscape of dust and gas. Astronomers call the area a miniature Orion Nebula because of its small size and the single star that is shaping it. The Orion Nebula itself is much larger and has four hefty stars that...
