Zooming into VISTA’s infrared view of the Orion Nebula

In this zoom sequence we start with the familiar view of the bright constellation of Orion (The Hunter) to the right and the brilliant star Sirius to the lower-left. We then zoom in on the region of the hunter’s sword to reveal the Orion Nebula, also known as Messier 42, a vast stellar nursery about 1350 light-years from the Earth. As we close in further we shift to the view from the VISTA survey telescope, observing in the infrared part of the spectrum. The new telescope’s huge field of view allows it to image the whole nebula and its surroundings in a single picture and its infrared vision also means that it can peer deep into the normally hidden dusty regions and reveal the curious antics of the very active young stars buried there.