![]() ![]() ![]() Extend this line to the northeast to find the bright star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus, but stop midway. Start by locating Orion's belt, a distinctive line of three bright stars. To locate M78, one must first find the familiar constellation of Orion, visible from virtually all populated regions of the globe during the winter months. It spans an area of about 8 x 6 arc minutes, translating to a physical size of around 5 light-years at its estimated distance of approximately 1,600 light-years from Earth. Messier 78 has an apparent magnitude of 8.3, making it the brightest reflection nebula in the night sky. The light from these stars is what illuminates the surrounding gas and dust. The nebula's blue tint is characteristic of reflection nebulae and is due to the scattering, or reflection, of shorter blue wavelengths of light by the dust particles.Īmong the young stars within M78, two brighter stars of 10th magnitude?HD 38563A and HD 38563B?dominate and are primarily responsible for making the nebula visible. Within M78, over 40 young stars less than a million years old have been identified, making it a stellar nursery where new stars are being formed. Messier 78 is primarily a reflection nebula, which means it is composed of interstellar dust that reflects the light of nearby stars, thus creating its unique glow. Discovered by Pierre M?chain in 1780, and later catalogued by Charles Messier, this fascinating object is part of the larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, an expansive region of cosmic dust and gas that also includes the famous Orion Nebula (M42), De Mairan?s Nebula (M43), and the Horsehead Nebula. Messier 78, also known as M78 or NGC 2068, is a prominent reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion. Unveiling the Mysteries of an Intriguing Reflection Nebula * The naked eye can see up to magnitude ~7-8 objects under ideal dark sky conditions. ![]()
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