Horsehead Nebula

E132579

The Horsehead Nebula is a dark molecular cloud in the constellation Orion, famous for its distinctive horse-head shape silhouetted against a bright emission nebula.

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All labels observed (3)

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf astronomical object
dark nebula
interstellar cloud
molecular cloud
alsoKnownAs Barnard 33
angularSize about 8 arcminutes by 6 arcminutes
apparentMagnitudeV 6.8
bestSeenFrom Northern Celestial Hemisphere
surface form: Northern Hemisphere
catalogCode B33
composition cold molecular gas
interstellar dust
contains dense clumps of gas
star-forming regions
declination −02° 27′ 30″
discoveredBy Williamina Fleming
discoveryYear 1888
distanceFromEarth about 1375 light-years
about 420 parsecs
dustContent high
emissionMechanismOfBackground hydrogen recombination in IC 434
featuredIn many astronomical catalogs
galacticLatitude −17.4
galacticLongitude 206.9
gasDensity relatively high for interstellar medium
hostGalaxy Milky Way
ionizingSourceOfBackground σ Orionis cluster
surface form: Sigma Orionis
locatedIn Milky Way
Orion constellation
surface form: Orion Belt region

Orion Molecular Cloud Complex
locatedInConstellation Orion
near Flame Nebula
NGC 2024
notableFor distinctive dark outline
popular astrophotography target
observationalDifficulty requires dark skies and imaging
observedIn infrared wavelengths
optical wavelengths
radio wavelengths
partOf IC 434 region
reddeningEffect strong extinction of background light
regionType star-forming region
rightAscension 05h 40m 59s
shapeDescription horse-head silhouette
silhouettedAgainst Barnard 33
surface form: IC 434
spectralFeatures molecular emission lines
temperature very cold
typeOfCloud Bok globule-like structure
visibleNear Alnitak

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Orion hasDeepSkyObject Horsehead Nebula
Orion Molecular Cloud Complex contains Horsehead Nebula
Orion Molecular Cloud Complex contains Horsehead Nebula
this entity surface form: Lynds Dark Nebula 1630
Alnitak hasNearbyObject Horsehead Nebula
this entity surface form: Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33)
Barnard's Loop liesNear Horsehead Nebula
Williamina Fleming discovered Horsehead Nebula