Optical photograph of the constellations of Monoceros (left) and Orion. Orion,the Hunter,is one of the most conspicuous constellations in the sky. The three stars forming Orion's Belt are prominent at far right. Below the Belt is Orion's Sword,with the distinctive,pink Orion Nebula (M42) at its centre. The bright,yellow star near the top of the picture is Betelgeuse,a red supergiant star. The faint arc of red nebulosity to the left of Orion's Belt & Sword is Barnard's Loop. The bright,red patch at upper centre is the Rosette Nebula. 50mm,f/2.8,30 mins,Fujichrome 100,Feb 1987 |