Reflection nebula M78. Three-colour composite image of the Messier 78 nebula (M78, or NGC 2068). This image is made from infrared observations by NASA

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Reflection nebula M78. Three-colour composite image of the Messier 78 nebula (M78, or NGC 2068). This image is made from infrared observations by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope - blue represents light and green shows light of 8 microns. Red is 24-micron light detected by Spitzer's multiband imaging photometer. 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 1600 light years from Earth.

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Size: 5269px × 3324px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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