Orion Nebula – Messier 42

The Orion Nebula is a famous diffuse emission/reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion.

It is also known as Messier 42 (M42) or the Great Orion Nebula. Its designation in the New General Catalogue is NGC 1976.

The brightest stars in the nebula form an asterism known as the Trapezium Cluster. These young stars are responsible for most of the nebula’s glow.

The Orion Nebula is one of the brightest nebulae in the night sky and, lying at a distance of 1,344 light years, it is the nearest region of massive star formation to Earth. It can be seen without binoculars, and its brightness and proximity make M42 one of the most studied objects in the night sky.

The nebulous region of M42 is easily seen through binoculars or a small telescope.

The best time of year to observe the nebula is the winter, during the months of December and January, when Orion constellation is high in the sky.

Astronomers studying the nebula have learned a lot about the formation of stars and planetary systems from collapsing dust and gas clouds, and they have observed the effects of massive stars photo-ionizing the clouds in the nebula. They have also discovered what they believe are some of the younger protostars ever found.

The Orion Nebula spans a degree in the sky, and includes stellar associations, reflection nebulae, dust and gas clouds, and ionized volumes of gas.

FACTS AND LOCATION

Orion Nebula (Messier 42) – In one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured an unprecedented look at the Orion Nebula. This turbulent star formation region is one of astronomy’s most dramatic and photogenic celestial objects. More than 3,000 stars of various sizes appear in this image. Some of them have never been seen in visible light. These stars reside in a dramatic dust-and-gas landscape of plateaus, mountains, and valleys that are reminiscent of the Grand Canyon.