The Orion nebula: Still full of surprises
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 - 10:31
in Astronomy & Space
(PhysOrg.com) -- This ethereal-looking image of the Orion Nebula was captured using the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory, Chile. This nebula is much more than just a pretty face, offering astronomers a close-up view of a massive star-forming region to help advance our understanding of stellar birth and evolution. The data used for this image were selected by Igor Chekalin (Russia), who participated in ESOs Hidden Treasures 2010 astrophotography competition. Igors composition of the Orion Nebula was the seventh highest ranked entry in the competition, although another of Igors images was the eventual overall winner.