Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2020 March 29

                        A 212-Hour Exposure of Orion
   Image Credit & Copyright: Stanislav Volskiy, Rollover Annotation: Judy
                                   Schmidt

   Explanation: The constellation of Orion is much more than three stars
   in a row. It is a direction in space that is rich with impressive
   nebulas. To better appreciate this well-known swath of sky, an
   extremely long exposure was taken over many clear nights in 2013 and
   2014. After 212 hours of camera time and an additional year of
   processing, the featured 1400-exposure collage spanning over 40 times
   the angular diameter of the Moon emerged. Of the many interesting
   details that have become visible, one that particularly draws the eye
   is Barnard's Loop, the bright red circular filament arcing down from
   the middle. The Rosette Nebula is not the giant red nebula near the top
   of the image -- that is a larger but lesser known nebula known as
   Lambda Orionis. The Rosette Nebula is visible, though: it is the red
   and white nebula on the upper left. The bright orange star just above
   the frame center is Betelgeuse, while the bright blue star on the lower
   right is Rigel. Other famous nebulas visible include the Witch Head
   Nebula, the Flame Nebula, the Fox Fur Nebula, and, if you know just
   where to look, the comparatively small Horsehead Nebula. About those
   famous three stars that cross the belt of Orion the Hunter -- in this
   busy frame they can be hard to locate, but a discerning eye will find
   them just below and to the right of the image center.

                      Tomorrow's picture: shadow saturn
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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