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Horsehead Nebula (Euclid, Hubble and Webb Images)

A horizontal collage of three images of the Horsehead Nebula.

This image showcases three views of one of the most distinctive objects in our skies, the Horsehead Nebula. The first image (left), released in November 2023, features the Horsehead Nebula as seen in visible light by ESA’s Euclid telescope, which has contributions from NASA. The second image (middle) shows a view of the Horsehead Nebula in near-infrared light from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, which was featured as the telescope’s 23rd anniversary image in 2013. This image reveals a beautiful, delicate structure that is normally obscured by dust. The third image (right) features a new view of the Horsehead Nebula from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    05:40:52.62
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -02:28:47.49
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Orion
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    1,300 light years

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.

    Image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay) and G. Anselmi

  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Horsehead Nebula, Barnard 33
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Star-forming region
  • Release Date
    April 29, 2024
  • Science Release
    Webb Captures Top of Iconic Horsehead Nebula in Unprecedented Detail
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, The Euclid Consortium, Hubble Heritage Project, Karl Misselt (University of Arizona), Alain Abergel (IAS, CNRS), Mahdi Zamani

Downloads

  • Full Res (For Print), 8983 × 3530
    tif (34.74 MB)
  • Full Res (For Display), 8983 × 3530
    png (35.17 MB)
  • 2000 × 786
    png (1.89 MB)

Related Images & Videos

A clumpy dome of blueish-gray clouds topped with streaky, translucent red wisps. A large, prominent star is at the top of the image.

Horsehead Nebula (NIRCam Image)

This image of the Horsehead Nebula from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope focuses on a portion of the horse’s “mane” that is about 0.8 light-years in width. It was taken with Webb’s NIRCam (Near-infrared Camera). The ethereal clouds that appear blue at the bottom of the image...

The image is more than half-filled from the bottom up by a small section of the Horsehead Nebula. Streaky clouds of white, gray and blue resemble a foamy wave crashing at the seashore. The nebula stops at a textured, fuzzy-looking edge that follows a slight curve. Above it a small number of distant stars and galaxies lie on a dark but multi-colored background.

Horsehead Nebula (MIRI Image)

This image of the Horsehead Nebula from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope focuses on a portion of the horse’s “mane.” It was taken with Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). Mid-infrared light captures the glow of substances like dusty silicates and soot-like molecules called...

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Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Image Credit

NASA, ESA, CSA, The Euclid Consortium, Hubble Heritage Project, Karl Misselt (University of Arizona), Alain Abergel (IAS, CNRS), Mahdi Zamani

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