Reflection nebula in Orion
Messier 78 is located about 2 degrees northeast of Zeta Orionis, the leftmost of the three stars in Orion's belt. Through a telescope, it appears as a roughly circular patch that envelopes a pair of stars. Also visible are two other reflection nebulae, NGC 2071 above Messier 78, and the diffuse NGC 2064 to its lower right. As this image shows quite clearly, these bright nebulae are all part of a large complex of gas and dust, some of which is reflecting the light of nearby stars, and some of which is obscurring the view of more distant stars in the background. The nebula is also reddening the color of many of the stars behind it.
| Magnitude | 8.3 |
| Apparent Size | 8' x 6' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 1,600 |
| Right Ascension | 5:46.8 |
| Declination | +00 04 |
| Field of View | 37' x 28' |
Image details: Exposure times of 15 minutes each of luminance, red, green, and blue, taken with an SBIG ST-8300M imager and a 14" Meade LX850 telescope at f/4.8.
February 2018