IC 434 Emission Nebula

Approximately 1,600 light years away toward the constellation Orion is a vast emission nebula known as IC 434. It is located just south of Alnitak, the bright left-most star in Orion's belt. This red glowing gas displays an intricate pattern of clouds and streamers, and part of it is obscured by the famous Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33), a dark region of dust and non-luminous gas. The image was exposed through a hydrogen-alpha filter to emphasize the nebula's details.

This two-frame mosaic captures the Horsehead and its extensive nebulosity. North is toward the left. Alnitak, being so close – just beyond the left edge of the photo about one-third of the height from the bottom – can create glare streaks in the image. In this case, the well-baffled TMB-130 telescope proved its worth. There's no glare at all. See the composite image below to get an idea how close Alnitak is to this frame.