Orion constellation. Optical image of the lower part of the constellation Orion. North is towards the top left corner. At lower centre is the Orion ne

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Orion constellation. Optical image of the lower part of the constellation Orion. North is towards the top left corner. At lower centre is the Orion nebula (M42), a diffuse pink area. It is a massive starbirth region, and glows as hydrogen gas in it is ionised by hot young stars. At lower right is the bright star Rigel (Beta Orionis). Rigel forms one of Orion's feet. It is a blue supergiant star which is about 1400 light years away. It is some 57,000 times brighter than our Sun, and will probably end its life as a supernova. The three stars at centre left form Orion's belt. They are, from the left: Alnitak (Zeta Orionis), Alnilam (Epsilon Orionis) and Mintaka (Delta Orionis).

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Size: 3480px × 5043px
Photo credit: © JOHN SANFORD/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: astronomy, belt, blue, constellation, cosmology, m42, nebula, orion, orions, part, rigel, science, star, stars, stellar, supergiant