Orion Nebula

Nearest large star-forming region, M42

From the Sun

1,344 light-years

What it is

Visible to the naked eye as the middle 'star' of Orion's sword. The four Trapezium stars at its heart light the whole cloud.

The picture hangs at that distance facing Earth, as large as it is on the sky; how deep the object is cannot be seen, so it is flat.

The picture

Taken by: European Southern Observatory
Picture spans: about 23 ly
From the Sun: 1,344 light-years
RA / Dec: 83.78° / -5.48°
Credit: ESO/G. Beccari

Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula in the Milky Way situated south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion, and is known as the middle "star" in the "sword" of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky with an apparent magnitude of 4.0. It is 1,267.0 ± 5.4 light-years (388.5 ± 1.7 pc) away and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth.

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