This image may not be used by or to promote the arms, nuclear power or tobacco industries or any religious organisation, or in any discriminatory way,

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This image may not be used by or to promote the arms, nuclear power or tobacco industries or any religious organisation, or in any discriminatory way, or to imply the endorsement by ESO of any product, service or activity M78 reflection nebula, optical image. The bright glow is light from hot young stars reflecting off the dust contained in the nebula. M78, around 4 light years across, is one of the brightest reflection nebulae in the night sky. It is located in the constellation of Orion, some 1400 light years from Earth. This image was published in 2011, and was obtained by the Wide Field Imager (WFI) instrument mounted on the MPG/ESO telescope at the La Silla Observatory, Chile. The colour bands used here are blue, yellow/green and red, plus a filter to include the hydrogen-alpha emission from hydrogen in the nebula.

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Size: 4266px × 4134px
Photo credit: © IGOR CHEKALIN/EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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