The Horsehead is a dark globule of dust and non-luminous gas, obscuring the light coming from behind. As you've guessed, it is the horse-head shape of this non-luminous gas that lends the nebula its name.  That's a horse's head roughly 2 light years across!  It is situated an estimated 1400 light years away in the direction of constellation Orion.  Astronomy Ireland's Neil English did a piece on the Horsehead in our April 2006 issue.

Kevin's lecture Monday was an astronomical success.  But if you are interested in how you can make such wonderful pictures yourself it is not too late!  You can order a DVD copy and view it at your own pace.  Just log onto www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.html.