Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Orion (Ori)  ·  Contains:  Flame Nebula  ·  IC 434  ·  NGC 2023  ·  Orion B
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Horsehead Nebula in front of IC434 and NGC2023, GeOK
Horsehead Nebula in front of IC434 and NGC2023
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Horsehead Nebula in front of IC434 and NGC2023

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Horsehead Nebula in front of IC434 and NGC2023, GeOK
Horsehead Nebula in front of IC434 and NGC2023
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Horsehead Nebula in front of IC434 and NGC2023

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Description

The Horsehead is a dark nebula, part of the large Orion Molecular Cloud (1,300 ly distant), that is so dense that it obscures the light from the red H alpha emission nebula, IC 434 (1,500 ly distant). Note how more background stars are visible through IC 434 upper part of the picture than through the darker molecular cloud shown below. NGC 2023 is an emission and reflection nebula illuminating parts of the molecular cloud by the the light of young star HD 37903, which is still in its gravitational contraction stage and not yet burning hydrogen at its core (a Herbig Ae/Be star).

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Horsehead Nebula in front of IC434 and NGC2023, GeOK