Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Orion (Ori)  ·  Contains:  Flame Nebula  ·  IC 434  ·  IC 435  ·  NGC 2023  ·  Orion B  ·  The star σOri
Horsehead Nebula, James Hixon
Horsehead Nebula
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Horsehead Nebula

Horsehead Nebula, James Hixon
Horsehead Nebula
Powered byPixInsight

Horsehead Nebula

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Description

I've been working on this one for a long time. This contains exposures from sessions stretching over three months. And, I've been testing shots of this since September.

The Horsehead Nebula

It's common for women in science to have been overlooked by history in spite of their acuity . Their accomplishments have typically been attributed to the men they worked for.

When Williamina Fleming discovered the Horsehead Nebula in 1888, the initial publication gave credit to her boss, Harvard astronomer Edward Pickering. However, subsequent publications all gave her credit for the discovery, and rightly credited her and the "Harvard Computers" - a team of mathematician women who processed astronomical data - with their discoveries.

In addition to discovering 59 gaseous nebulae, over 310 variable stars, she developed a system for classifying stars based on their spectra. And, she discovered the first white dwarf star in 1910, a year before she died of pneumonia.

The Horsehead Nebula is probably the most iconic object in the night sky outside our solar system. I'm glad Williamina found it.

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Horsehead Nebula, James Hixon