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Emission nebula

De Mairan's Nebula

Also M43 · NGC 1982

Open in OuranosCompare its size

A small round cloud of glowing gas just north-east of the Orion Nebula, split from it by a lane of dust.

Measured

Distance
about 1,300 light-years (published estimates 1,265–1,350)
Size
about 7.6 light-years across (approximate)
Constellation
Orion
Position (J2000)
RA 5h 35m 31s, Dec −5.27°

How far, from the Sun

About 1,300 light-years. To cross it:

  • Light1,300 years
  • Voyager 1's speed23.1 million years
  • Driving at 100 km/h14 billion years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • It is lit mainly by NU Orionis, a young massive star that is really a four-star system.
  • It is part of the same star-forming cloud as the Orion Nebula.

Where this comes from

  • Distance of the Orion Nebula: VLBA radio parallaxes, Kounkel et al. 2017 (388 ± 5 pc) and Menten et al. 2007 (414 ± 7 pc)
  • This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, CDS, Strasbourg, France (Wenger et al. 2000, A&AS 143, 9).
  • This research has made use of the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier).

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.