M43 · nebula

De Mairan's Nebula

Messier 43 or M43, also known as De Mairan's Nebula and NGC 1982, is a star-forming nebula with a prominent H II region in the equatorial constellation of Orion.

RA05h 35m 31sDec−05° 16' 02"

Image: NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Identity & coordinates

Identification

Primary designation: M43
All designations: M43 · NGC 1982 · De Mairan's Nebula
Object type: Nebula
Constellation: Orion
Best viewing: Winter

Coordinates & physical

Right ascension (J2000): 05h 35m 31s
Declination (J2000): −05° 16' 02"
Apparent magnitude (V): —
Distance: —

III

Visibility tonight

The science

Messier 43 or M43, also known as De Mairan's Nebula and NGC 1982, is a star-forming nebula with a prominent H II region in the equatorial constellation of Orion. It was discovered by the French scientist Jean-Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan some time before 1731, then catalogued by Charles Messier in 1769. It is physically part of the Orion Nebula, separate from that main nebula by a dense lane of dust known as the northeast dark lane. It is part of the much larger Orion molecular cloud complex.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA-4.0