Orion Nebula (M42)

Orion Nebula (M42) is a emission nebula in the constellation Orion, with an apparent magnitude of 4.0. It is about 1,631 light-years away.

Free to use with credit: Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), CC BY 4.0 · More

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<a href="https://constellationmap.org/messier/m42-orion-nebula/"><img src="https://constellationmap.org/img/messier/m42-orion-nebula-finder-chart.png" alt="Finder chart for the Orion Nebula (M42) in the constellation Orion" width="800" height="800" loading="lazy"></a>
<br><small><a href="https://constellationmap.org/messier/m42-orion-nebula/">Orion Nebula (M42)</a> · Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a></small>

How to find the Orion Nebula, step by step

Below Orion's Belt, in the sword.

Find Orion's Belt on a winter evening.
Below the belt hangs a short line of three fainter "stars", the sword.
The middle one looks fuzzy: that is the Orion Nebula (M42), visible to the naked eye and beautiful in binoculars, about 1,300 light-years away.

Facts

Catalog	Messier 42 (M42)
Type	emission nebula
Constellation	Orion
Apparent magnitude	4.0
Distance	about 1,631 light-years
Right ascension	5 h 35.3 min
Declination	−5.38°
Best month	January (at about 9 pm)

Sources: star positions, magnitudes and colors from the Yale Bright Star Catalogue; constellation boundaries and star names from the IAU; areas and distances from Wikidata; stick figures by M. van der Sluys. How the maps are made.

How to find the Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula is in Orion. From 40° N it is highest in the south in January evenings, about 45° up. From 35° S it reaches about 60° in the north. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky and easy in binoculars.

Orion constellation →