Map of the Universe

Orion Nebula

Nebula · Diffuse nebula in the constellation Orion

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Orion Nebula
Picture: NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

About the Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula is about 1,344 light-years from the Sun, so the light we see from it left about 1,344 years ago.

It is 28,114 light-years from the centre of the Milky Way.

The map lists it as a nebula and shows it among the stars around the Sun, drawn on the plane of the Milky Way.

The nearest large star-forming region, visible to the naked eye. Gaia gives 389 pc and VLBA parallax 412 pc; both are in use.

Key numbers

Distance1,344 light-years (412 pc)
Distance from the Galactic centre28,114 light-years
Galactic coordinatesl = 209.00°, b = -19.40°
Sizeabout 24 light-years across

Where it is

Its place in the universe, from the inside out: Orion–Cygnus Arm (Local Arm) › Milky Way › Local Group › Virgo Supercluster › Laniakea Supercluster › Observable universe.

Zoom out to see it in context: Local Arm, a view about 12,000 light-years across.

From Wikipedia

The Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula in the Milky Way situated south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion, and is known as the middle "star" in the "sword" of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky with an apparent magnitude of 4.0.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Orion Nebula, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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