Astronomers have used Nasa’s Hubble Space Telescope to photograph the iconic Horsehead Nebula in a new, infrared light.
Looking like an apparition rising from whitecaps of interstellar foam, the iconic nebula has graced astronomy books ever since its discovery more than a century ago. A favourite target for amateur and professional astronomers, it appears transparent and ethereal when seen at infrared wavelengths.
The nebula is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud, located about 1 500 light-years away in the constellation Orion.
Credit: Nasa, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
