
The MicroObservatory Online Telescope Network is operated by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, with funding from NSF and NASA. In honor of Global Astronomy Month 2011, MicroObservatory held an Astrophotography Contest. Participants used the Observing with NASA portal and MicroObservatoryImage software to create RGB Composite images and Astrocreative images. Kevin Manning won the Astrocreative category for his various interpretations of the Orion Nebula. The word for cloud in the Greek is nebula, so the great Orion Nebula is a diffuse cloud of gas and dust in space 1,500 light years from earth, literally our nearest stellar nursery where new stars are being born. So the title chosen for this work is "A Star is Born." This international award-winning work of art is available as a canvas print.


Astronomy is the most exciting and fun topic in the universe. Of course, I am a bit biased, but don't you agree? Using a telescope to see the invisible and look far back in time, exploring the universe to learn about meteors, the Moon, comets, asteroids, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies, and trying to understand the role of black holes, dark matter, and dark energy, are all covered in this enjoyable text.