#flame nebula

Hidden fires of the Flame Nebula © ESO

A shadowy Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33, center) and brilliant Flame Nebula (NGC 2024, lower left) // SierraMike

"Astrophotographer Michael Horn captured this gorgeous view of Comet SOHO in the dark night sky above Wandibindle, Queensland, Australia on May 23rd, 1998. On this date, Comet SOHO was moving against the background of the nebula-rich constellation of Orion. South is up in the picture which shows SOHO's bright head, or coma, and long tail extending past the glowing gas clouds and dark dust lanes of the Flame and Horsehead nebulae. Alnitak, the bright star above and to the right of the cometary coma, is also known as Zeta Orionis, the eastern-most of the three stars in Orion's belt. Southern hemisphere observers reported that Comet SOHO had undergone a dramatic increase in brightness."

Flame Nebula

flame nebula | 16 min | 3/24/25

© NASA, ESA, N. Smith, and the Hubble Heritage Team