哈勃：红外波段的马头星云

2022年9月21日

The Horsehead Nebula in Infrared from Hubble
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing: Alexandra Nachman

Explanation: While drifting through the cosmos, a magnificent interstellar dust cloud became sculpted by stellar winds and radiation to assume a recognizable shape. Fittingly named the Horsehead Nebula, it is embedded in the vast and complex Orion Nebula (M42). A potentially rewarding but difficult object to view personally with a small telescope, the featured gorgeously detailed image was taken in infrared light by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. The dark molecular cloud, roughly 1,500 light years distant, is cataloged as Barnard 33 and is seen above primarily because it is backlit by the nearby massive star Sigma Orionis. The Horsehead Nebula will slowly shift its apparent shape over the next few million years and will eventually be destroyed by high energy starlight.

Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995)

Tomorrow’s picture: open space

哈勃：红外波段的马头星云
影像提供: NASA, ESA, Hubble; 影像处理: Alexandra Nachman

说明: 漂泊于宇宙中的一大团星际尘埃云，在恒星风与辐射的雕塑下恰巧带着我们熟悉的外观。命名很贴切的马头星云，镶嵌在庞大且复杂的猎户座星云(M42)之内。对使用小望远镜的人来说，马头星云是值得一看但颇有观测难度的天体，而这幅壮丽且细致的红外光主题影像，则是由轨道上的哈勃太空望远镜在红外波段所拍摄。这团离我们约1,500光年远、亦拥有巴纳德33编录号的暗分子云，之所以会现形，则是因为有邻近的大质量恒星参宿增一之星光作为背光。在接下来的数百万年之中，马头星云的外貌会慢慢改变，最终会在高能量星光的摧残下消失灭迹。

你的天空惊喜: APOD在你生日那天拍了什么照片？（1995年后）

明日的图片: open space