Reflection Nebulas in Orion

影像版權與提供: T. Rector (U. Alaska Anchorage), H. Schweiker, NOAO, AURA, NSF
Explanation:
    In the vast Orion Molecular Cloud complex, several bright blue nebulas are particularly apparent. Pictured above are two of the most prominent reflection nebulas - dust clouds lit by the reflecting light of bright embedded stars. The more famous nebula is M78, near the image center, cataloged over 200 years ago. On the upper left is the lesser known NGC 2071. The image was taken with the Mayall 4-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA. Astronomers continue to study these reflection nebulas to better understand how interior stars form. The Orion complex lies about 1500 light-years distant, contains the Orion and Horsehead nebulas, and covers much of the constellation of Orion.
說明:
      在龐大的獵戶座分子雲團內，有數個相當明亮的藍色星雲。上面影像呈現了其中二個最顯眼反射星雲，它們是因為反射內部明亮恆星的星光而變亮的塵埃雲。二者中較著名的星雲是位在影像中央的M78，早在二百多年前就被登錄了，位在影像左上角的則是較不出名的NGC 2071。這幅影像是用美國．亞利桑那州．基特峰的四米Mayall望遠鏡拍攝的。天文學家不停地研究這類反射星雲，以了解它們內部的恆星是如何誕生的。獵戶座分子雲團離我們約有1500光年遠，成員包括獵戶座大星雲和馬頭星雲，覆蓋了獵戶座內大部份的天區。
資料來源: Scientific American
                 Department of Physics, NCKU

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