SOFIA Observations of Orion’s Dragon

Far-infrared imaging spectroscopy of the Orion nebula from SOFIA upGREAT. Over 2 million [C II] 158 microns (μm) spectra create a 3-D data cube of right ascension, declination, and line-of-sight velocity. As the cube turns around the vertical axis, the dragon figure is revealed as the rotation approaches 180 degrees. A stellar wind from the star, Theta1 Orionis C, has created a bubble by sweeping up over 2,000 solar masses.

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