NGC 1999: A key-shaped gateway through the cosmos

Look in the southwest quadrant of the Orion nebula region. You will see a peculiar cloud, rich with HII, and a small region with bright reflective details. At the center of this cloud, surrounded by herbig-haro objects, is a key-shaped hole in the gas that is likely ripped open by radiation from the variable star V380 Orionis, as well as jets of radiation from the nearby herbig-haros. This object is very small and very bright. In small telescopes, it appears as just a small patch of light. In deeper images, a black void is visible in the center.