Title: The Horsehead and Flame Nebulae Region in Orion
Description: One of the most beautiful regions of the sky is the area around the star Alnitak...the leftmost star in the three star "belt" of the constellation Orion. Alnitak is the very bright star to the left of center. Below it is NGC 2024, known as the Flaming Tree nebula, also sometimes called the "Tank Track Nebula". The large red emission nebula resembling curtains to the right of Alnitak is IC 434. This bright section is actually part of a much larger complex of emission nebulae encompassing most of Orion, some of which can be seen trailing off to the lower right. Between IC 434 and our point of view lies the mysterious and famous "Horsehead Nebula" in the center of the photograph. Cataloged as B33, it is a peculiarly shaped cloud of dark dust obscuring IC 434 behind it. The Horsehead figure is actually a dynamic structure formed by the protrusion of a dense area of the larger dust cloud that can be seen at its base. It lies in front of and obscures an area of red glowing hydrogen, IC434. The structure is huge...between 12,000 and 13,000 of our own solar systems could be spread out across it's "neck". It is theorized that the Horsehead itself is a "Bok Globule" which will eventually break free from the main cloud and condense into individual stars. Just below and to its left is the blue reflection nebula, NGC 2023.
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