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M78 with NGC 2071
More gems from Orion the Hunter's treasure trove. M78 is below, and NGC 2071 is above left. I see two cherubic faces at the core of each of these. This is where it gets really cool. See the red marker towards lower right? That's McNeil's Nebula, named for its discoverer Jay McNeil of Kentucky. I take pictures, but Jay's a skilled observer. When he imaged this area on January 23, 2004, he knew something was amiss. This little blob doesn't exist in images as late as 2003. Confirmed by professional astronomers within 24-hours of his discovery, we are witnessing the birth of a new star.
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