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](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/m78_0-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
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](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/m78inset-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
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](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/m78-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
![This Southern Hemisphere star chart shows the location of Messier 78 in the northern part of night sky at 10pm in January.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/hubble-m78-southern-annotated-skymap-for-web-january-n-from-brazil.png?w=4096&format=png)
Explore Hubble's Messier Catalog
The following pages contain some of Hubble’s best images of Messier objects.
![Bright green, orange, and yellow tendrils intertwined within this egg shaped nebula.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/crab-nebula-mosaic-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Messier 1 (The Crab Nebula)
Better known as the Crab Nebula, Charles Messier originally mistook Messier 1 for Halley’s Comet, which inspired him to create…
![A Hubble image of a ball of thousands of stars](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/m2-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Messier 2
Hubble's image of Messier 2 is comprised of visible and infrared wavelengths of light.
![Hubble view of M3 - a ball of thousands of stars.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/m3-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png)
Messier 3
Messier 3 holds more than 500,000 stars.