M78的大视野影像

2021年01月21日

M78 Wide Field
Image Credit & Copyright: Wes Higgins

Explanation: Interstellar dust clouds and glowing nebulae abound in the fertile constellation of Orion. One of the brightest, M78, is centered in this colorful, wide field view, covering an area north of Orion’s belt. At a distance of about 1,500 light-years, the bluish reflection nebula is around 5 light-years across. Its tint is due to dust preferentially reflecting the blue light of hot, young stars. Reflection nebula NGC 2071 is just to the left of M78. Flecks of emission from Herbig-Haro objects, energetic jets from stars in the process of formation, stand out against the dark dust lanes. The exposure also brings out the region’s fainter, pervasive reddish glow of atomic hydrogen gas.

Tomorrow’s picture: in the round

M78的大视野影像
影像提供与版权: Wes Higgins

说明: 在富饶的猎户座里，到处都是星际尘埃云与明亮星云。 M78就是其中最明亮者之一，在这幅涵盖猎户腰带以北天区的彩色美丽广角影像里，它是位在视野中心的天体。泛蓝色反射星云M78离我们约1,500光年远，大小则在5光年左右。它的色泽，来自它内部的尘埃偏好反射附近炽热年轻亮星之蓝色星光。紧贴在M78左侧的反射星云，为NGC 2071。而在黝黑的尘埃带上，还可见到赫比格-哈罗天体形成的光斑，以及处在形成阶段的恒星发出之高能喷流。此外，这张影像，也呈现这区域暗淡但无所不在的泛红氢原子辉光。

明日的图片: in the round