A small frame.
A vast story.
This is an original astrophotograph by Dennis Gorican. The pink cloud, the luminous core and the blue reflection region belong to the same view of Orion’s sword.
The exhibit uses the supplied photograph throughout. Zooming magnifies its existing pixels; it does not generate extra detail. The labels identify broad regions, rather than individual stars measured from a calibrated sky map.
Curiosity, with sources.
Distances are estimates. The journey uses the approximately 1,350 light-years cited by ESA/Webb. NASA’s Messier catalogue rounds M42 to 1,500 light-years; this is a scale illustration, not a precise date of departure.
The timeline is relative to the photograph’s exposure. Its capture date, equipment and total exposure have not been supplied, so no calendar date or acquisition settings are assumed.