The Running Man Nebula is in the constellation Orion, and very close to the Orion Nebula. The nebula is about 1600 light years from Earth, so the image depicted here is from light that was emitted around 400 AD. The Running Man Nebula was first observed by William Herschel in 1786. The nebula has been described as a man or ghost running through the sky. The Running Man Nebula is a reflection nebula. The bright blue glow is caused by light from nearby bright stars reflecting off a dense cloud of dust and gases.
