The Great Orion Nebula

Orion Nebula M42Orion Constellation A beautiful photo of M42, also known as the Orion nebula, taken by the 4 meter wide telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. Situated in the Milky Way and south of Orion's Belt, it is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. The Orion Nebula is one of the most scrutinized and photographed objects in the night sky, and is among the most intensely studied celestial features.[8] The nebula has revealed much about the process of how stars and planetary systems are formed from collapsing clouds of gas and dust. Astronomers have directly observed protoplanetary disks and brown dwarfs within the nebula, intense and turbulent motions of the gas, and the photo-ionizing effects of massive nearby stars in the nebula. Publisher's Note:This image source is extremely large and will produce tack-sharp prints at almost any size. For another high resolution Orion image, see Hubble's Composite of the Orion Nebula.