What is the Orion Nebula?

Believed to be the cosmic fire of creation by the Maya of Mesoamerica, M42 blazes brightly in the constellation Orion. Popularly called the Orion Nebula, this stellar nursery has been known to many different cultures throughout human history. read more

The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, being south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. read more

The Orion Nebula is a massive cloud of gas and dust around 1,300 light years from Earth and is located in the constellation of Orion. It is around 25 light years across and is the closest star forming region to Earth. read more

The Orion Nebula is that red fuzzy region in Orion’s Sword, hanging from the Belt. 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