M43: Orion Falls

 

Is there a waterfall in Orion? No, but some of the dust in M43 appears similar to a waterfall on Earth.

M43 is itself a star forming region and although laced with filaments of dark dust, is composed mostly of glowing hydrogen. The entire Orion field, located about 1600 light years away, is inundated with many intricate and picturesque filaments of dust.

M43: Orion Falls

Opaque to visible light, dark dust is created in the outer atmosphere of massive stars and expelled by a strong outer wind of protons and electrons.

Image Credit & Copyright: Zhuoqun Wu, Chilescope Telescope 2

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