Did someone order a dark ‘n stormy? 🌌 About 1,400 light-years from Earth lies the largest star-forming cluster in the constellation of Orion, the Flame Nebula. The dark and dusty heart of nebula, pictured here, is where star a cluster resides, mostly hidden from view. Nearby (but not visible in this image), is the bright star Alnitak, the easternmost star in the Belt of Orion. Radiation from Alnitak ionizes the Flame Nebula’s hydrogen gas. As the gas begins to cool from its higher-energy state to a lower-energy state, it emits energy in the form of light, causing the visible glow behind the swirled wisps of dust. Credit: NASA, EuropeanSpaceAgency, and N. Da Rio (University of Virginia); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) #NASA #FireNebula #Galaxy #Nebula #NebulaNovember #Stars #Space #Astrophotography #Hubble #Astronomy #Science #Cosmos