The bright star is Alnitak, the easternmost of the three stars in Orion's belt. Ultraviolet radiation from the star energizes hydrogen gas clouds which then emit light that brightens this star forming region. ImagesPlus was used to combine and process ten 5 minute exposures taken through an Orion 8" Ritchey-Chretien astrograph. The subs and dark frames were captured with a modified Canon XSi DSLR operating at ISO 1600 at Sky Trails Observatory in Summerland, B.C. on Feb. 13, 2012.