IC 434

IC 434 is an emission nebula in the constellation Orion, is the Horsehead Nebula, a dark cloud is on the same line of sight, backlit and so visible.

Observation

About the discovery by the then new photograph of Edward Charles Pickering reported in 1890, approximately one year after the recording has been made ​​by his brother and discovered on this the fog of his colleague Williamina Fleming.

The nebula is located just south of the bright star Alnitak in Orion belt. Due to its equatorial position, it can be observed depending on the season of all inhabited areas of the earth. However, due to the weak brightness it is visible only through long exposures or with medium size telescopes. The fog is bordered to the west of the Orion B molecular cloud and reaches 70 arc-minutes in length, but only a few minutes of arc in width. Its shape resembles a long strip-shaped blade, which runs in a north -south direction. The eastern part is at times obscured by a dark cloud, which belongs to Orion B and is known for its characteristic shape as Horsehead Nebula.

Features

There is an H II region, which is ionized by the radiation of the star system Sigma Orionis. Information on the temperature of the emission nebula vary between 3360 K to 8000 K. A 1992 study identified a temperature of about 6000 K.

Swell

• Individual astronomical fog
• Orion ( constellation )
• Index - catalog