The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula located within the constellation Orion. It is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth at a distance of around 1,344 light-years.

The Orion Nebula is estimated to be 24 light-years across with a mass of about 2,000 times that of the Sun.

Location: Hubble Space Telescope
Data Source: Hubble Legacy Archive