Reflection Nebula NGC 1999: The Cosmic Keyhole | Schulman Telescope
NGC 1999 is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion around 1,350 light-years from Earth. It is located near the Orion Nebula, the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. NGC 1999 itself is a relic of recent star formation—it is composed of detritus left over from the formation of a newborn star. The most notable aspect of NGC 1999’s appearance, however, is the conspicuous hole in its center, which resembles an inky-black keyhole of cosmic proportions.
Just like fog curling around a street lamp, reflection nebulae like NGC 1999 only shine because of the light from an embedded source. In the case of NGC 1999, this source is the newborn star V380 Orionis, visible at the center of this image.
Technical Details
Optics: Schulman 32-inch RCOS Telescope
Camera: SBIG STX16803
The 0.81 m (32 in) Schulman Telescope is a Ritchey-Chrétien reflector built by RC Optical Systems and installed in 2010. It is operated by the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter and is Arizona's largest dedicated public observatory. The Schulman Telescope was designed from inception for remote control over the Internet by amateur and professional astrophotographers worldwide. It is currently the world's largest telescope dedicated for this purpose.
Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona
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