Image from: APOD.com: May 13, 2010
Photo cred: Marco Burali, Tiziano Capecchi, Marco Mancini

Horsehead nebula!! 1,500 light-years.
Located in the Orion cloud complex.

The shape of the dark cloud in the center is caused by stellar winds and radiation. It is visible in its silhouetted dust due to nebula IC 434, which glows red behind it.
The glowing blue stars seen at bottom left are from another nebula (NGC 2023) that is shining through the dark dust clouds of the Horsehead Nebula.