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ORION NEBULA1270 light-years The Orion Nebula is situated south of the "belt" of three stars in the constellation bearing the same name. This is one of the brightest nebulae (a huge cloud of gas and dust) and is visible to the naked eye on clear, dark nights. This infrared image shows young stars forming and the heated gas filaments surrounding them. It was taken using the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawai'i. Credit: Chris J. Davis, Joint Astronomy Centre. |