Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Orion (Ori)  ·  Contains:  Great Orion Nebula  ·  Lower Sword  ·  M 42  ·  M 43  ·  Mairan's Nebula  ·  NGC 1973  ·  NGC 1975  ·  NGC 1976  ·  NGC 1977  ·  NGC 1980  ·  NGC 1981  ·  NGC 1982  ·  NGC 1999  ·  Orion Nebula  ·  The star 42Ori  ·  The star 45Ori  ·  The star θ1Ori  ·  The star θ2Ori  ·  The star ιOri  ·  Upper Sword  ·  the Running Man Nebula
The Orion Nebula, AlBroxton
The Orion Nebula
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The Orion Nebula

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Description

The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated south] of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. M42 is located at a distance of 1,344 ± 20 light years and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across. Older texts frequently referred to the Orion Nebula as the Great Nebula in Orion or the Great Orion Nebula. M42, also known as the Orion Nebula or the Great Nebula of Orion, is a gigantic cloud of gas and dust over 30 light-years in diameter. It is located about 1,500 light-years from the Earth. M42 is a site of active star formation, and the stars within this nebula cause it to shine with a magnitude of 4. This makes it one of the few nebulae that can be seen with the naked eye. The most famous of these stars is a small cluster known as the Trapezium. A pair of binoculars will show the basic structure of this nebula, while a small telescope will reveal intricate details within its dusty lanes. Discovered in 1610 by Nicholas-Claude Fabri De Peiresc.

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The Orion Nebula, AlBroxton

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Allen Broxton