The Orion Nebula

“[O’Dell has] spent his lifetime…building and using massive telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope, that offer insight not only to the constellation Orion, but also the universe at large… O’Dell tells the history of how astronomers gained knowledge of the Orion nebula as instrumentation became more sophisticated… [He] offers a rare insider’s view of Hubble and provides many images from it.”—Science News

“This is an illuminating book. The importance of the Orion nebula in unravelling the processes, not only of star formation, but also of star/planetary systems, has led to the rapid development of our appreciation in the importance of such collections of interstellar dust and gas for studying these birth processes. This book gives a clear and easily understood presentation. A good read.”—Richard Taylor, Spaceflight

“Systematically explaining [how collapsing gas and dust form stars and planets], the author instills a sense of the allure Orion exerts on professionals such as himself, thereby hooking his audience of interested amateurs.”—Gilbert Taylor, Booklist

“The Great Nebula in Orion, long famous as a beautiful object for photography, has also served as a Rosetta Stone for astrophysicists, providing a rich source of measurements that have promoted the understanding of those galactic nebulae that are illuminated by hot, young stars. O’Dell, an authority on the subject, guides readers though the development of the techniques with which this object has been observed, and in an exceptionally lucid manner explains how we have been able to derive models of the physical conditions that exist within nebulosity.”—D. E. Hogg, Choice

“Robert O’Dell knows the Orion nebula well from his own positive experience, and he has incorporated his latest results in The Orion Nebula. The book is written quite well in a colloquial style, like conversation with one of the leading observational authorities on the subject. The Orion Nebula should be read by professional astronomers, graduate students, and everyone with an interest in astronomy, no matter how much or how little they may know about the subject before picking up this book.”—Donald E. Osterbrock, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz