Lichtgedanken 04

S C HW E R P U N K T 37 04 | LICHT GEDANKEN The large emission nebula »M42«, approx. 1,400 light years away from the earth, in the Orion constellation. This image is a colour-composition image, which was taken with the Schmidt telescopic camera on the 90-centimetre reflector telescope at the University Observatory using three filters (B, V, R). The Orion nebula is a place where stars are formed and is just a few million years old. The nebula is lit up by massive stars, which have already formed in its centre. Many new stars will be formed from the large masses of gas here over the next million years.