NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day Features the Running Man Nebula

According to the Economic Desk of Webangah News Agency, located just north of the famous Orion Nebula, the Running Man Nebula is a breathtaking star-forming region in Orion’s Sword. This area is rich in complex dust structures, some of which appear blue due to the reflection of light from bright embedded stars.

NASA notes that the nebula, cataloged as Sharpless 279, earned its common name from the brownish section on the right that resembles a runner’s legs. It forms part of both the Orion constellation and the larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex.

The intense light from stars within the nebula, including the bright star Orionis 42 near the image center, is gradually eroding and reshaping the surrounding dust, which may completely dissipate within approximately 10 million years.

Spanning about 15 light-years, the Running Man Nebula lies roughly 1,500 light-years from Earth.