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Sky Chart: February 2010
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8:00 pm EST on February 15, 2010. Looking at Zenith, South at Bottom. (click to enlarge)*
The Orion Molecular Cloud: The brightest nebulae we see in the Orion region are parts of the so-called Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. This is a large nebula in Orion, located about 1,500-1,600 light-years away, and about 240 light-years across. It encompasses such objects as M42, M43, NGC 1973-5-7, Barnard's Loop, the Horsehead Nebula, and M78. It is a very active star-forming region, and shines brightly in the infrared due to the intense heat associated with star formation.
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