The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope is the proud owner of a new observation instrument called WIRCam (Wide field-of-view Infrared Camera). After a rigorous shakedown, the team recently released an image of the Orion Nebula that was taken by the camera. The result is a spectacular shot showing a vast expanse of the region in a single image. You can see tendrils of red molecular hydrogen gas near the centre, as well as several of the massive stars within the area. The nebula sits at a relatively close distance, about 1300 light-years away, in the constellation Orion.

Image Credit: CFHT/Terapix/C.Marmo

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