The Flame Nebula, designated as NGC 2024 is
an emission nebula in the constellation Orion. It is about 1,500
light-years away. The bright star Alnitak (ζ Ori), the
easternmost star in the Belt of Orion, shines energetic
ultraviolet light into the Flame and this knocks electrons away
from the great clouds of hydrogen gas that reside there. Much of
the glow results when the electrons and ionized hydrogen
recombine. Additional dark gas and dust lies in front of the
bright part of the nebula and this is what causes the dark
network that appears in the center of the glowing gas. The Flame
Nebula is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, a
star-forming region that includes the famous Horsehead Nebula.
