How many stars are in the Orion Nebula?

Many people are familiar with Orion, the most noticeable of all constellations. The three stars of Orion's Belt jump out at you midway between Orion's two brightest stars, Betelgeuse and Rigel, which are two of the brightest stars in the sky. read more

The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across. It has a mass of about 2,000 times that of the Sun. Older texts frequently refer to the Orion Nebula as the Great Nebula in Orion or the Great Orion Nebula. read more

The Orion Nebula is a hive of star forming activity, as a result it has given us a greater understanding as to how stars are formed. Many stars in the Orion Nebula have disks of debris around them, indicating the very beginnings of planetary formation. read more

What science says about the Orion Nebula. According to modern astronomers, the Orion Nebula is an enormous cloud of gas and dust, one of many in our Milky Way galaxy. It lies roughly 1,300 light-years from Earth. At some 30 to 40 light-years in diameter, this great big nebulous cocoon is giving birth to perhaps a thousand stars. read more