Orion Nebula - M42

The Orion Nebula is a cavern of tumultuous gas and dust where thousands of stars are forming. Energy released by young stars transforms the place where they are born, whipping the surroundings into fantastic forms. This turbulent star formation region is one of the most dramatic and photogenic celestial objects. Over 3,000 stars of different sizes appear in this image. Some of these stars have never been seen in visible light and reside in a dramatic dust-and-gas landscape of plateaus, mountains, and valleys that resemble the Grand Canyon. The Orion Nebula is a vast picture book of star formations, from massive, young stars that are shaping the nebula to pillars of dense gas that can be home to budding stars. A portion of every Posternauts purchase supports young minds through the scholarship fund of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center® Foundation. Learn More Object Name: Orion Nebula (M42, NGC 1976) Release Date: Jan 11, 2006 Image Credits: NASA,ESA, M. Robberto (STScI/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team