Horsehead & Flame Nebula
View full resolution ↗
Two iconic targets near Alnitak in Orion’s Belt, roughly 1,375 light-years away. The Horsehead (Barnard 33) is a dark nebula — a dense pillar of dust silhouetted against the glowing emission nebula IC 434 behind it. Nearby, the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) is an emission nebula whose intricate dark lanes are caused by foreground dust absorbing the light of the ionised hydrogen beyond. Together they’re one of the most recognisable fields in astrophotography.