The Horsehead and Flame Nebula

An icon in the sky, the famous Horsehead and Flame nebula. This false color image was created by using filters that only accept the narrow wavelengths of light emitted by hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen gas. For those familiar with the belt of Orion in the sky, the bright star in this image is the “left-most” star in the belt. This nebula is 1,375 light years away, with the Horsehead shape coming from dark clouds of cosmic dust rolling and rumbling like clouds on earth, shaped by the radioactivity and heat of nearby stars. The Horsehead Nebula is one of the most popular deep space objects for astrophotographers to image, and it's no wonder why!

Please note this image is heavily compressed for the website. You can view the full resolution JPEG file here: https://www.astrobin.com/97r8pt/C/