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Image Gallery > Featured Image on December 23, 2006

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Horsin' Around 
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Lying just below the belt of Orion, the Horsehead Nebula is actually two clouds of gas and dust for the price of one, with one lying in front of the other. The foreground nebula, which includes the horsehead figure, appears dark because it consists of cold, dense gas and dust. The gas in the background nebula glows red because it's zapped by the energy of nearby stars. [McDonald Observatory/Tom Montemayor] For more information, see the December 23 radio program.

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