Messier 78

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Reflection fog
Messier 78
Messier 78.jpg
Image taken with the Wide Field Imager and the MPG / ESO 2.2 meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory
Constellation Orion
Position
equinox : J2000.0
Right ascension 05h 46m 46.8s
declination + 0 ° 04 ′ 45 ″
Further data
Brightness  (visual)

8.3 mag

Brightness  (B-band)

8.0 likes

Angular expansion

8 '× 6'

distance

1600 ly

history
discovery

Pierre Méchain

Date of discovery

March 1780

Catalog names
M  78 • NGC  2068 • IRAS  05442-0000 •
Aladin previewer

Messier 78 (also known as NGC 2068 ) is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion . With a brightness of 8.0 mag, it is the brightest reflection nebula in the night sky. The nebula is bluish and 8 '× 6' in angular extent. The nebula was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and described by Charles Messier at the end of the year . The nebula is visible in binoculars and telescopes from an aperture of about 50 mm.

See also

Web links

Commons : Messier 78  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. NASA / IPAC EXTRAGALACTIC DATABASE
  2. a b c Messier 78 at SEDS
  3. SIMBAD
  4. Seligman
  5. Erich Karkoschka : Atlas for sky observers. Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, 3rd edition, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-440-07488-9 , p. 58.
  6. ^ Ronald Stoyan , Stefan Binnewies, Susanne Friedrich, Klaus-Peter Schroeder: Atlas of the Messier Objects. Cambridge University Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0-521-89554-5 , p. 269.