Messier 42

Flame Nebula

ngc 2024,emission nebula in orion

The Flame Nebula is an emission nebula located in the constellation Orion, the Hunter. The nebula lies at an approximate distance of 1,350 light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 2. It has the designation NGC 2024 in the New General Catalogue. The Flame Nebula occupies an area of 30 arcminutes of apparent … [Read more…]

Omega Nebula – Messier 17

messier 17,swan nebula,horseshoe nebula

The Omega Nebula, also known as Messier 17 (M17), is a bright emission nebula located in Sagittarius constellation. It was named Omega for its resemblance to the Greek letter omega, Ω. The nebula has the designation NGC 6618 in the New General Catalogue. It is also known as the Swan Nebula, Horseshoe Nebula, Lobster Nebula, … [Read more…]

Highlights of the February Sky

Here are some of the planets, constellations and deep sky objects you can see in the night sky in February: 8 PM southeastern sky – Jupiter rising after sunset 11:30 PM eastern sky – Mars rising later in the evening, climbing higher throughout the night 9 PM southern sky – Orion constellation prominent in the … [Read more…]

Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33)

The Horsehead Nebula is a famous diffuse dark nebula found in the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex in the constellation Orion. It is a dark cloud composed of dust and gas where star formation is taking place. The nebula is also known as Barnard 33, and is located in the emission nebula IC 434. The Horsehead … [Read more…]

Orion Nebula – Messier 42

orion nebula,m42,messier 42

The Orion Nebula is a famous diffuse emission/reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion. It is also known as Messier 42 (M42) or the Great Orion Nebula. Its designation in the New General Catalogue is NGC 1976. The brightest stars in the nebula form an asterism known as the Trapezium Cluster. These young stars are responsible … [Read more…]