Reflection Nebulas in Orion
In the vast Orion Molecular Cloud complex, several bright blue nebulas are particularly apparent. Pictured above are two of the most prominent reflection nebulas - dust clouds lit by the reflecting light of bright embedded stars. The more famous nebula is M78 , near the image center, cataloged over 200 years ago. On the upper left is the lesser known NGC 2071 . The image was taken with the Mayall 4-meter telescope on Kitt Peak , Arizona , USA . Astronomers continue to study these reflection nebulas to better understand how interior stars form. The Orion complex lies about 1500 light-years distant, contains the Orion and Horsehead nebulas, and covers much of the constellation of Orion .