The Monkey Head Nebula is an emission nebula located in the constellation Orion. The nebula is an H II region, a large cloud of ionized gas in which new stars are being formed. It is a low-density cloud and the site of intense star formation. These stars emit intense ultraviolet radiation which ionizes the hydrogen gas, making the nebula glow. The nebula surrounds several loose clusters of young stars and will evaporate and disappear into the surrounding space within the next few million years. The Monkey Head Nebula lies about 6,400 light years from Earth.
It is located in the same region of the sky as the famous Orion Nebula, one of the brightest diffuse nebulae in the night sky. The Orion Nebula (Messier 42) was the first known H II region. While M42 lies in Orion’s Sword, the Monkey Head can be found above Betelgeuse, near Orion’s head. It covers an area larger than the full Moon and can be seen in binoculars.
www.constellation-guide.comS - 21 x 1200s
H - 19 x 1200s
O - 12 x 1200s
R - 10 x 60s
G - 10 x 60s
B - 10 x 60s
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