Cosmic Scale
Orion Nebula
Star-forming nebula · 1,344 light-years
How big is Orion Nebula?
Orion Nebula is about 24.0 light-years across.
See Orion Nebula in 3D, at true scale
The Orion Nebula is the nearest large stellar nursery, a glowing cavern of gas being carved out by the young stars inside it. It is the fuzzy middle 'star' in Orion's sword, visible to the naked eye.
At a glance
| Diameter | 24.0 light-years |
|---|---|
| Mass | 3.98 × 10³³ kg |
| Diameter compared with Earth | 1.8 × 10¹⁰ × Earth |
| Distance | 1,344 light-years |
| Age | Under 3 million years |
| Also known as | M42 |
Good to know
- Four hot young stars called the Trapezium light the whole nebula.
- Hubble found hundreds of protoplanetary disks here — solar systems in the act of forming.
- It is only the bright face of a much larger cloud that covers most of the constellation.
- Next smaller: Crab Nebula · 11.0 light-years
- Next larger: Eagle Nebula · 70.0 light-years