The Orion A Molecular Cloud from VISTA (IMAGE) ESO Caption This image from the VISTA infrared survey telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory in northern Chile is part of the largest infrared high-resolution mosaic of Orion ever created. It covers the Orion A molecular cloud, the nearest known massive star factory, lying about 1350 light-years from Earth, and reveals many young stars and other objects normally buried deep inside the dusty clouds. Credit ESO/VISION survey Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.