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emission nebula · star-forming nursery

What is the Orion Nebula?

Glowing star-forming cloud, visible to the naked eye as the fuzzy middle “star” of Orion’s sword.

Worth knowing about the Orion Nebula

You see the Orion Nebula as it was 1,272 years ago.

Why it stands out
The closest large star-forming region to Earth, the best-studied stellar nursery in the sky.
What it is
A glowing cloud of gas and dust actively forming hundreds of new stars; at its heart is the Trapezium, a tight knot of young brilliant stars.
How we know: Infrared telescopes see through the dust to spot hundreds of still-forming protostars, some wrapped in their own planet-building discs.
The Orion Nebula — A model, seen from the Earth, with north up.
The numbers
Acrossabout 24 light-years
Distance from us1,272 light-years
How big it looks1.1 degrees — about 2 full Moons across

How anyone knows this

Things like it

The Lagoon Nebulaemission nebulaBinocularsThe Eagle Nebulaemission nebula150 mm telescopeThe Coalsack Nebuladark nebulaNaked eyeThe Helix Nebulaplanetary nebula150 mm telescopeThe Dumbbell Nebulaplanetary nebulaBinocularsThe Ring Nebulaplanetary nebula150 mm telescope

Games it appears in

Show the Orion Nebula in the model🧭 Where is the Orion Nebula?🕒 When can I see the Orion Nebula?📖 How the Milky Way fits together🌙 Plan an evening outside