Fact Sheet
Trapeze Artists
Several hot, bright, massive young stars illuminate the vast cloud of interstellar gas and dust known as the Orion Nebula. The stars are known collectively as the Trapezium because they form a pattern that reminded some skywatchers of a trapeze. Ultraviolet energy from the stars causes the surrounding gas to glow like the interior of a fluorescent bulb. This energy is also blowing away gas from the nebula, which is giving birth to many other stars. [Credit: ESO]
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