马头星云
(原标题: The Horsehead Nebula)
2025-12-10
浏览次数: 1614
由于受到恒星风和辐射的影响，这片布满尘埃的星际分子云偶然呈现出了一种可识别的形状。它被称为马头星云，距离我们约1500光年远，镶嵌在巨大的猎户座星云复合体中。这团“高”约5光年的黑云被编目为巴纳德33号，最早是在20世纪初拍摄的一张底片上被发现的。B33之所以可见，主要是因为它的模糊尘埃映衬着发射星云IC 434的光芒。哈勃太空望远镜在21世纪初拍摄的图像中发现了B33内部形成的年轻恒星。当然，在接下来的几百万年里，这片壮丽的星际云会慢慢改变它的表面形状。但就目前而言，马头星云虽然很难用小型望远镜从地球上观测到，但却是一个有益的天体。
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Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, this dusty interstellar molecular cloud has by chance assumed an immediately recognizable shape. Fittingly known as The Horsehead Nebula, it lies some 1,500 light-years distant, embedded in the vast Orion cloud complex. About five light-years "tall," the dark cloud is cataloged as Barnard 33, first identified on a photographic plate taken in the early 20th century. B33 is visible primarily because its obscuring dust is silhouetted against the glow of emission nebula IC 434. Hubble space telescope images from the early 21st century find young stars forming within B33. Of course, the magnificent interstellar cloud will slowly shift its apparent shape over the next few million years. But for now, the Horsehead Nebula is a rewarding though difficult object to view with small telescopes from planet Earth.
© George Chatzifrantzis