Great Nebula in Orion, McDonald Observatory, Texas, circa 1939
- Subject
- Cameras & Photography
- Card type
- Printed photo
- Date
- c. 1939 (Linen)
About this postcard
A black-and-white astronomical photograph of the Great Nebula in Orion (M42), showing bright gas clouds, dark dust lanes, and surrounding field stars, with a smaller patch of nebulosity near the bottom edge. The Orion Nebula is a star-forming region in the sword of Orion and one of the brightest diffuse nebulae in the sky. The caption identifies the view as McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. Founded in 1939 and operated by the University of Texas at Austin, the observatory became a center for astronomical photography and spectroscopy in the mid-twentieth century.
Postcard Details
No address detected
Postcard record
| Publisher | The L. L. Cook Co. |
|---|---|
| Condition | Very good |
| Publisher | The L. L. Cook Co., Milwaukee, WI |
| Notes | White border around a black-and-white photographic image; caption printed in the lower margin. No writing or postage visible on the front. No postmark, address, or message. Divided-back Kodak Paper postcard with printed "POST CARD" heading, "ADDRESS" line, "PLACE STAMP HERE" stamp box, and vertical publisher notice reading "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED—THE L. L. COOK CO., MILWAUKEE"; light soiling/toning at edges. |
Cite this card
Great Nebula in Orion, McDonald Observatory, Texas, circa 1939, postcard, c. 1939. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/great-nebula-in-orion-mcdonald-observatory-texas-circa-1939. Accessed November 2, 2026.