Barnard's Loop Nebula
Sh2-276, M78, and LDN 1622 in Orion
Barnard's Loop is an enormous nebula, part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex that also contains The Horse Head (B33) and M42 nebulae. The large red arc of Hydrogen is centered on the Orion Nebula, whose stars ionize the loop's gasses. At 518 light years distance and 200 light years across, it likely originated from a supernova explosion about 2,000,000 years ago. Although the loop was visually observed by earlier astronomers, it is named for astrophotography pioneer E. E. Barnard of Vanderbilt University.
At upper-left is the reflection nebula, M78. At lower-right is the absorption nebula, The Bogeyman (LDN 1622). Both of these objects were imaged at higher resolution by Mike Miller, which were then composited into the 2-panel, wide field mosaic,
acquired by Terry Hancock of Grand Mesa Observatory.
LARGE
Barnard's Loop is an enormous nebula, part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex that also contains The Horse Head (B33) and M42 nebulae. The large red arc of Hydrogen is centered on the Orion Nebula, whose stars ionize the loop's gasses. At 518 light years distance and 200 light years across, it likely originated from a supernova explosion about 2,000,000 years ago. Although the loop was visually observed by earlier astronomers, it is named for astrophotography pioneer E. E. Barnard of Vanderbilt University.
At upper-left is the reflection nebula, M78. At lower-right is the absorption nebula, The Bogeyman (LDN 1622). Both of these objects were imaged at higher resolution by Mike Miller, which were then composited into the 2-panel, wide field mosaic,
acquired by Terry Hancock of Grand Mesa Observatory.
LARGE