Astronomy Picture of the Day- Government shutdown so no APOD Today. I will dig up some of my favorites – Messier 43
Explanation: Often imaged but rarely mentioned, Messier 43 is a large star forming region in its own right. It’s just part of the star forming complex of gas and dust that includes the larger, more famous neighboring Messier 42, the Great Orion Nebula. In fact, the Great Orion Nebula itself lies off the lower edge of this scene. The close-up of Messier 43 was made while testing the capabilities of a near-infrared instrument with one of the twin 6. 5 meter Magellan telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Andes. The composite image shifts the otherwise invisible infrared wavelengths to.