Orion Nebula (M42)

Object Type: Emission Nebula
Scope: Orion 10" Newtonian; Exposure 18 minutes.

The Orion Nebula (Messier 42, NGC 1976) is a diffuse emission nebula just south of Orion's Belt and the closest large region of massive star formation to Earth - about 1,344 light-years away and some 24 light-years across. Bright enough to see with the naked eye, it is one of the most studied and photographed objects in the sky. At its heart the four hot young stars of the Trapezium cluster light up the surrounding gas, and the nebula is a natural laboratory for watching stars and protoplanetary disks take shape. It remains a favorite target of Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope, which have probed its interior in visible and infrared light.