# @nasa on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/BkgZTM8nQj4
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/11735143-nasa-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/8a655351d7.jpg
- **Posted:** 2018-06-26T23:23:12.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** NASA (@NASA) — https://gondola.cc/NASA

## Caption

To mark the birthday of French astronomer Charles Messier, our @NASAHubble telescope released new images of deep-sky objects that can be viewed in stunning detail. Best known for his "Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters,” Messier compiled a catalog of deep-sky objects in order to help prevent other comet enthusiasts from wasting their time studying objects that were not comets.

This newly released image from Messier’s catalog features a reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion. A reflection nebula is created when light from a star is scattered or reflected off a nearby dust cloud.

Located approximately 1,600 light-years away from Earth with an apparent magnitude of 8, this deep-sky object can be found in binoculars and small telescopes, but telescopes 8 inches or larger will reveal more detail in the nebula. It has the distinction of appearing very comet like, with one side of the nebula flaring away like a comet’s tail. This has fooled many comet hunters into believing they have made a new discovery. Images like this one can help astronomers develop a better understanding of protostellar evolution, the early developmental stages in a star’s life.

Credit: NASA/ESA, J. Muzerolle (Space Telescope Science Institute) and S. Megeath (University of Toledo)

#nasa #space #hubble #spothubble #universe #science #distant #nebula #comet #binoculars #cosmic #exploration #stars

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 523,077
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 1,375

## Tags

science, nasa, hubble, binoculars, universe, space, cosmic, spothubble, nebula, exploration, distant, stars, comet

---
Copyright (c) Gondola