Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Orion (Ori)  ·  Contains:  41 the01 Ori  ·  43 the02 Ori  ·  De Mairan's nebula  ·  Great Nebula in Orion  ·  M 42  ·  M 43  ·  NGC 1976  ·  NGC 1982  ·  Sh2-281  ·  The star θ1Ori  ·  The star θ2Ori
Orion Nebula, Geoff
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Orion Nebula

Orion Nebula, Geoff
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Orion Nebula

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Description

The Orion Nebula (M42) is a diffuse nebula south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is easily visible to the naked eye. M42 is located at a distance of about 1300 light years and is estimated to be 24 light years across. It is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth.

The Orion Nebula is an example of a stellar nursery where new stars are being born. Observations of the nebula have revealed approximately 700 stars in various stages of formation within the nebula.The whole Orion Nebula extends across a 1° region of the sky, and includes neutral clouds of gas and dust, associations of stars, ionized volumes of gas, and reflection nebulae.

The Nebula is part of a much larger nebula that is known as the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex extends throughout the constellation of Orion and includes Barnard's Loop, the Horsehead Nebula, M43, M78, and the Flame Nebula. Stars are forming throughout the entire Cloud Complex, but most of the young stars are concentrated in dense clusters like the one illuminating the Orion Nebula.

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Orion Nebula, Geoff