Thursday, January 9, 2014

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 01/09/13 - Orion"s Sword in the Winter Sky

This epic picture was captured by Mike Berenson at Colorado Captures. It reveals the splendor of one of the night sky"s biggest attractions - the Sword of Orion. This region of the sky houses the Orion nebula (the very bright pinkish/blue one), among other interesting objects and features. Altogether, this little region of sky is one of the most viewed regions and best studied regions in the entire celestial hemisphere.



The Orion nebula is the closest nebula to Earth, residing at a distance of 1300 light years. This makes it a hot destination for professional astronomers who want to study the nebula"s intricate detail. Amateur astronomers turn their eye to Orion because it is one of the most stunning objects in the night sky.

http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/astronomy-picture-of-the-day-010913-orions-sword-in-the-winter-sky/

Image Credit: Mike Berenson (Colorado Captures)

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