A Horse in the Sky
by CritterKeeper on Jul.31, 2009, under Bugs, birds and other animals
Image Credit: NASA, NOAO, ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Acknowledgment: K. Noll (Hubble Heritage PI/STScI), C. Luginbuhl (USNO), F. Hamilton (Hubble Heritage/STScI)
Like a giant horse sticking his head up from a ocean of dust and gas, the Horsehead Nebula is one of the most recognized objects in the sky. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope took this closeup image in April 2001. We cannot see it with our eyes, but the nebula is in the constellation of Orion, the hunter. It lies just south of Zeta Orionis, the left hand star in Orion’s belt.
Credit & Copyright: Nigel Sharp (NOAO), KPNO, AURA, NSF
The nebula gets its name from its overall horse head shape when viewed in telescopes on Earth.
The nebula, also known as Barnard 33, was first discovered on a photographic plate taken in the late 1800s. It’s horse head shape is only by chance and contains a nursery for young stars. One day this nebula will be home to hundreds of new stars.
:horsehead nebula, horses, Hubble Space Telescope, NASA
-
Welcome to Starry Critters!
Thanks for dropping by! This site combines incredible imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope and other great observatories with the imagination of children. Explore and share the patterns you see in the nebula, galaxies and star clusters.Note to Parents and Educators:
The main focus of the site are the images of space. We believe the explanations are best suited for parents, educators and upper grade students. Parents may find it helpful to view the site with their children and explore the universe together using the explanatory text as a guide. Background text is provided to let you know the real story behind the image. Links, very useful for parents and teachers, include definitions and will take you to other sites for even more detail.
Zoom in and out and pan around the images to find your own patterns in the stars. Be creative and think outside the box.Tell us your stories and let us know what you find! Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the RSS feed.
You can also subscribe by email by filling the field below:
