Orion Nebula

On most winter nights, the distinctive constellation of Orion the Hunter is plainly visible in the southern sky. Orion sports a "belt" from which hangs a three-star "sword". The Orion Nebula is the smudge of the middle star in Orion's sword. A closer look at it reveals that it is not a star at all, but a group of stars shrouded in a cloud of dust and glowing gas. This is a stellar nursery where new stars are being formed. As the gas coalesces, it is energized and emits a characteristic red glow, not bright enough to be seen visually, but captured nicely on film.