M43: 猎户尘埃流

2021年10月6日

M43: Streams of Orion
Image Credit & Copyright: Jari Saukkonen

Explanation: Where do the dark streams of dust in the Orion Nebula originate? This part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, M43, is the often imaged but rarely mentioned neighbor of the more famous M42. M42, seen in part to the upper right, includes many bright stars from the Trapezium star cluster. M43 is itself a star forming region that displays intricately-laced streams of dark dust — although it is really composed mostly of glowing hydrogen gas. The entire Orion field is located about 1600 light years away. Opaque to visible light, the picturesque dark dust is created in the outer atmosphere of massive cool stars and expelled by strong outer winds of protons and electrons.

Tomorrow’s picture: open space

M43: 猎户尘埃流
影像提供与版权: Jari Saukkonen

说明: 猎户大星云黝黑的尘埃流源自何处？这部分的猎户分子云 复合体之编录号为M43，是著名M42经常入相但鲜少被提及的邻居。在这幅主题影像里，M42和四边形 星群的许多明亮成员星，出现在影像的右上角。 M43本身是个恒星形成区，它虽然到处都是黝黑、形如错综复杂系带的丝缕状尘埃，但主成分其实是正在散发辉光的氢气。这片猎户座星野，距离我们约1,600光年远。这些不透可见光的美丽黝黑尘埃，形成于大质量低温恒星的外层大气，然后被主成分为质子和电子的强烈外泛恒星风带出来。

明日的图片: open space