M 78 (NGC 2068)

Location: DEC + 00 03, RA 05 46 42
Distance: 1600 ly
Apparent magnitude: 8.3
Apparent dimension: 8 x 6 arc min.

Credit: SDSS

M78 is a reflection nebula that looks small and is often overlooked compare with the Orion Great Nebula. In fact, M78 belongs to the much large Orion Cloud Complex that occupies a large portion of the Orion constellation and contains the Great Nebula and the Horsehead Nebula.

This part of the Complex Cloud is illuminated by several young stars, perhaps only about 100 000 years old, in the nebula. M78 is a cloud of interstellar dust which illuminates in the reflected and scattered light of bright blue (early B-type) stars, among them the brightest, HD 38563A, and second-brightest HDE 38563B. Both of them are about 10th in apparent magnitude. However, the orange streaks at the edge of the nebula is the color due to ionized hydrogen atoms. The size of M78 is estimated to be about 4 light years.

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