The Horsehead Nebula is a cold, dark cloud of gas and dust in the constellation Orion.

Located at a distance of around 1,500 light-years from Earth, it was first discovered on a photographic plate in the late 1800s.

The dark shape of the nebula is caused by thick dust that blocks the light of stars which lie beyond it. The head emerges from a large gas complex that is an active site for the formation of new, small stars.

Location: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Data Source: Backyard