Messier 78
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox nebula
Messier 78 or M78, also known as NGC 2068, is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and included by Charles Messier in his catalog of comet-like objects that same year.[1]
M78 is the brightest diffuse reflection nebula of a group of nebulae that includes NGC 2064, NGC 2067 and NGC 2071. This group belongs to the Orion B molecular cloud complex and is about Template:Convert distant from Earth.[2] M78 is easily found in small telescopes as a hazy patch and involves two stars of 10th and 11th magnitude. These two B-type stars, HD 38563 A and HD 38563 B, are responsible for making the cloud of dust in M78 visible by reflecting their light.[3]
The M78 cloud contains a cluster of stars that is visible in the infrared.[2] Due to gravity, the molecular gas in the nebula has fragmented into a hierarchy of clumps,[2] whose cores have masses ranging from Template:Val to Template:Val.[4] About 45 variable stars of the T Tauri type,[5] young stars still in the process of formation, are members as well. Similarly, 17 Herbig–Haro objects are known in M78.[6]
On May 23, 2024, the European Space Agency released an initial set of images from their Euclid mission. This included an unprecedented image of the region including M78.[7] It showed hundreds of thousands of new objects including sub-stellar sized ones for the first time.
Gallery
-
VISTA image of Messier 78.
-
Spitzer image of Messier 78.
-
Euclid image of star-forming region Messier 78
See also
References
External links
- Template:WikiSky
- SEDS: Starforming Nebula M78
- Template:APOD
- NightSkyInfo.com – M78
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
- M78 Wide Field 2009 November 26
- M78 and Reflecting Dust Clouds in Orion 2010 March 2
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Template:Portal bar Template:Messier objects Template:Ngc25 Template:Sky
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedFrommert2018 - ↑ a b c Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedSmith2013 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedStrom1974 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedMotte2001 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedHerbig1963 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedZhao1999 - ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".