Messier 78

Hubble's infrared image of Messier 78 helped astronomers understand how young stars develop.

Distance

1,600 light-years

Apparent Magnitude

8.0

constellation

Orion

object type

Reflection Nebula

M78 as seen by Hubble
This colorful image features a small part of M78, a reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion.
NASA, ESA, J. Muzerolle (Space Telescope Science Institute) and S. Megeath (University of Toledo)

This colorful image features a small part of M78, a reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion. A reflection nebula is created when light from a star is scattered or reflected off a nearby dust cloud. M78 is located approximately 1,600 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.

two images of M78
A box in the ground-based infrared image of M78 at left shows the location of Hubble’s close-up infrared view on the right.
ESO/VISTA (ground-based image)

M78 was discovered in 1780 by Charles Messier’s colleague Pierre Méchain. It is best seen in January. M78 can be found in binoculars and small telescopes, but telescopes 8 inches or larger will reveal more detail in the nebula. M78 has the distinction of appearing very comet like, with one side of the nebula flaring away like a comet’s tail. This has fooled many comet hunters into believing they have made a new discovery.

This infrared view was made using Hubble’s Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) and Wide Field Camera 3. The Hubble observations were taken to develop a better understanding of protostellar evolution, the early developmental stages in a star’s life.

locator star chart for M78
This star chart for M78 represents the view from mid-northern latitudes for the given month and time.
Image courtesy of Stellarium
This Southern Hemisphere star chart shows the location of Messier 78 in the northern part of night sky at 10pm in January.
This star chart for M78 represents the view from mid-southern latitudes for the given month and time.
Image courtesy of Stellarium

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