The Horsehead Nebula in Infrared from Hubble
Model: gpt-4.1
Prompt version: 1.0
While drifting through the cosmos, a magnificent interstellar cosmic dust cloud became sculpted by stellar winds and radiation to assume a recognizable shape.
Fittingly named the Horsehead Nebula, it is embedded in the vast and complex Orion Nebula (M42).
A potentially rewarding but difficult object to view personally with a small telescope, the featured gorgeously detailed image was taken in infrared astronomy light by the orbiting Hubble Image Space Telescope.
The dark molecular nebula cloud, roughly 1,500 light years distant, is cataloged as Barnard 33 and is seen above primarily because it is backlit by the nearby massive star Sigma Orionis.
The Horsehead Nebula will slowly shift its apparent shape over the next few million years and will eventually be destroyed by high energy starlight.
Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995)