Environs of Horsehead Nebula (APOD 21 Feb 2006)

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 5:12 pm

Thank you.

I found a spectacular image at:

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsde ... age/a+zoom

This is incredible but I am un able to locate region in question. I'm not much of a navigator. If anyone else can take a look and attempt to locate image in question, please let me know.

BMAONE23 · Post by **BMAONE23** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:37 pm

The area in question of the original post is the part of this image that it labeled ngc 1977 this points directly at the light / dark boundry that resembles a hole in the high definition image referred to by the original post
http://astro.nineplanets.org/twn/n1976x.html

this is a better unannotated image of the same area

http://astro.nineplanets.org/twn/n1976.html

it is in the smaller blue reflection nebula to the right

orin stepanek · Post by **orin stepanek** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:52 pm

I found this.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020530.html

The part in question should be in the Great Orion Nebula toward the bottom of the picture. Unfortunately I cannot fine your hole there. The best view seems to be in the original APOD photo.
Orin

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 10:05 pm

I meant where in the link below is the area (hole) in question. The link below is an awesome image of the orion nebula. It is completely zoomable at astonishingly high resolution (i'm very impressed).

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsde ... age/a+zoom

BMAONE23 · Post by **BMAONE23** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 10:17 pm

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020530.html
In this link from Orin, the lower rignt corner shows the Orion nebula in an orange/red color. Directly north from this is a blue nebula with a finger of dark dust intruding fron the south (between the two nebula). The image you found is of the brightest area of the orange/red nebula mentioned first. The "Hole" mentioned is in the smaller bluer nebula to the north. The effect is created where the darker dust area and the brighter blue area meet.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 2:55 pm

This is getting complicated, eh?

The last link that I posted is where i'm trying to locate the horsehead. If I could find it I could then locate the region where the "hole" in question is. Like I said I'm not much of navigator so this is getting confusing and more difficult for me. Even if I can locate the "hole" using this link:

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsde ... age/a+zoom

I'm not sure what I would get from it (I was hoping another view) But in the original APOD image this area strongly resembles a hole.

BMAONE23 · Post by **BMAONE23** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 3:08 pm

Assuming that north is up in this image (archaic directions but workable) then the horsehead would be north and west of this image at a distance of approximately 10 times the space covered in this image from top to bottom.

In short, the Horsehead doesn't appear in this particular nebula.

DonB312 · Post by **DonB312** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 4:12 pm

The dark cloud is located in NGC1977. A google search on "NGC 1977" will find several images where you can locate the cloud.

Here is one from APOD: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010722.html

The cloud in question is located at the bottom of this image which is rotated 90 degress clockwise relative to the 2/21/06 APOD image.

Don

BMAONE23 · Post by **BMAONE23** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 6:07 pm

Martin
Try this image:

http://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?ac ... nt=1229048

The inset is a cropped area of the original post image showing the "hole" area in question. oriented to match the image supplied by Orin.

I'm uncertain as to the cause of the color change, other than perhaps the length of exposure.

orin stepanek · Post by **orin stepanek** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:42 pm

You can match the two photos with the three stars above the area in BMAONE23's diagram.
Orin

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 10:04 pm

BMAONE23 & orin stepanek thank you.

I can make some sense of the multiple images now. Apparently the difference is in the exposure time and the filtering. The original APOD picture that I posted was a seven hour exposure filtering out all but hydrogen gas. The other pictures that have been so kindly added as reference are very short exposures that were not filtered. (If I understand the information correctly provided with the other images).

I do not believe that the other images provide any more answers. In fact, I believe that they confuse the issue further. We need another seven hour exposure filtering out all but hydrogen gas of the area in question?

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:34 am

I have attempted contact with those responsible for the image. I will copy the response to my next reply.

astroton · Post by **astroton** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:52 am

Martin wrote:This is getting complicated, eh?

The last link that I posted is where i'm trying to locate the horsehead. If I could find it I could then locate the region where the "hole" in question is. Like I said I'm not much of navigator so this is getting confusing and more difficult for me. Even if I can locate the "hole" using this link:

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsde ... age/a+zoom

I'm not sure what I would get from it (I was hoping another view) But in the original APOD image this area strongly resembles a hole.

You are looking for London in Japan (Just Kidding). Orion is home to many different nebulae. The region in question (the horse head) is Barnard33 or B33. The image in above link is of M42 region.

Orion nebula is very active stellar nursery and there are many gaping holes in the nebula due to young active stars. The hole looks interesting though.

astroton · Post by **astroton** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:59 am

Further to my first post....

The apod picture is taken with a small telescope and it covers large region. If you look at it at this scale, the region with the hole is actully M42 nebula itself (My diagnosis). There is a gaping hole in this region. The hole has been created by trepezium stars. In Apod image due to exposure and colour filters, M42 seems to look little different. However the make up of the stars in these picture looks like candidates for trepezium.

look at this link

http://mass.phys.wani.osaka-u.ac.jp/toy ... _02_05.JPG

http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgu ... l%26sa%3DN

astroton · Post by **astroton** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 10:13 am

Movie of the hole

http://vis.sdsc.edu/research/orion.html

http://www.calvin.edu/academic/phys/obs ... ges/orion/

Martin,

In simple words, the link you have given above...

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsde ... age/a+zoom

is what is visible side on in the apod image.

Looking fwd to the answer from the ppl who took the pic.

astroton · Post by **astroton** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:39 am

Look at this image.

http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgu ... l%26sa%3DN

It's little darker but you can see both Barnard 33 and M42 in one image just like in original apod image in question.

Compare the locations....

It only looks like a black hole in original image, probably due to filters. Also, the focus of Apod image is more towards horsehead and the running man nebula.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:29 pm

Rick Gilbert/SSRO wrote:

"Martin,

I think the hole you are seeing is part of the "Running Man" Nebula. M42 (the Great orion Nebula) is located just to the right of that part of the image. We have a larger mosaic that shows M42 as well that I can send if you want it."

(I am now waiting for him to send me the larger mosaic image)

astroton · Post by **astroton** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 10:00 am

Martin,

Did you get the full Picture with great orion nebula inclusive? The colours in the pic posted on APOD are fantastic. The full mosaic will be worth posting.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 3:21 am

Martin,

Sorry about the delay -- here is the extended mosaic I promised. This has not benn published yet so you are the first outside SSRO to see the image!

Rick
SSRO

The file is to large to post on <imagehost> without upgrading. I would be glad to share it with someone who can post it. Or I can email it to you? My profile will include my email address for a short while.

l3p3r · Post by **l3p3r** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 6:45 am

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsde ... age/a+zoom

This is fantastic! Is it possible to download the full hi res image seperately?

l3p3r · Post by **l3p3r** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:41 pm

can anybody tell me what this is?
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/4810/whatis5sg.jpg

Qev · Post by **Qev** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:38 am

l3p3r wrote:can anybody tell me what this is?
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/4810/whatis5sg.jpg

It's a 'proplyd', short for 'protoplanetary disk'. Basically, a thick disk of dust and gas circling a young or forming star. You're seeing it nearly edge-on in that picture.

l3p3r · Post by **l3p3r** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:57 am

thats incredible! Its seems bigger than I would expect considering the distance to it. I take it the bright patch is the protostar?

harry · Post by **harry** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:40 am

Could this object being formed from the jets of a pulsar.

Qev · Post by **Qev** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:45 pm

l3p3r wrote:thats incredible! Its seems bigger than I would expect considering the distance to it. I take it the bright patch is the protostar?

Yup! I believe that's actually an infrared image, otherwise the star would be completely invisible to us... the dust cloud is darn thick around those things.

They do tend to be quite large. I'm pretty sure that it's larger than our solar system by a good margin. Most of that, of course, gets blown off once fusion gets going in the star.