The Horsehead Nebula: A Cosmic Cloud Sculpture

This is Barnard 33, also known as the Horsehead Nebula. It is a large body of interstellar dust clouds sculpted through time by stellar winds and radiation.

A potentially rewarding but difficult object to view personally with a small telescope, the above gorgeously detailed image was taken in 2013 in infrared light by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope in honor of the 23rd anniversary of Hubble's launch.

After millions of years, however, the Horsehead Nebula will slowly change in shape and eventually be destroyed by a high energy starlight.

So while it’s still around, let’s appreciate this magnificent sculpture that’s unlike any other.

(Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA))


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