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The Orion nebula

10 million years – 10 metres

Orion nebula. (M. Roberto / Hubble / NASA / ESA)

The Great Orion Nebula is formed. It would have been first seen as a large black splotch on the sky. Nowadays the nebula is lit up by the young stars in front of it. Stars are still forming in the dark interiors of the cloud. The climate continues to cool. The first deer and elephants evolve.

Kuva: Orion nebula. M. Robberto | Hubble | NASA | ESA

The Great Orion Nebula

M42 The Great Orion Nebula is formed (presently, the constellation of Orion). When it was formed, it was much closer to the Solar system and would have been visible as a large dark spot. It was so dense that it was not transparent to the stars behind it. This interstellar gas cloud has produced a lot of stars, and this still continues. Now-a-days it can be seen by naked eye, in dark conditions, because it is enlighten by the stars that have formed in it.

Miocene epoch

During the Miocene epoch 23-5.3 million years ago world became rather similar to what it is today. Warm sea current circling the earth was cut, when Africa and India collided with Europe and Asia, respectively. This lead to the new cooling in the climate at the end part of this relatively warm epoch. Climate was dry and graslands continued to extend. Many new species appeared, including kelps and baleen whales in the oceans. Coral reefs spread widely into the coastal waters. The first moose and elephant species appear to the Europe and camel and elephant species to the Northern America.

Platybelodon, early elephant related species from Northern America. Kuva: Walter Myers