Astronomy Picture of the Day · December 16, 2001

The Horsehead Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 16, 2001 is “The Horsehead Nebula,” an image. It is credited to Credit: Nigel Sharp ( NOAO ), AURA , NSF. The original explanation runs about 150 words.

From the explanation

“One of the most identifiable nebulae in the sky, the Horsehead Nebula in Orion , is part of a large, dark, molecular cloud . Also known as Barnard 33, the unusual shape was first discovered on a photographic plate in the late 1800s.”

— APOD editors, December 16, 2001

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: December 16, 2001
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Nigel Sharp ( NOAO ), AURA , NSF
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 150 words

All of December 2001 → · 2001 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Orion Nebulae

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: December 16 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, December 16, 2001 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2001-december-16-the-horsehead-nebula

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.