NASA features the Great Nebula in Orion

NASA said the featured image for 26 October 2026 showed M42, the Great Nebula in Orion. The agency described the nebula as an immense, nearby starbirth region and one of the most famous astronomical nebulas. It is also known as M42.

The image showed glowing gas surrounding hot young stars at the edge of an immense interstellar molecular cloud only 1500 light-years away. Assigned colors highlighted emission in hydrogen. Wisps and sheets of dust and gas were particularly evident in the deep image.

The Great Nebula in Orion can be found with the unaided eye near the easily identifiable belt of three stars in Orion. It also houses a bright open cluster of stars known as the Trapezium. The Orion Nebula contains many stellar nurseries.

NASA said those stellar nurseries contain much hydrogen gas, hot young stars, proplyds, and stellar jets that spew material at high speeds. The announcement described the region as a starbirth area with hot young stars at the edge of an immense interstellar molecular cloud.

Also known as M42, the Orion Nebula spans about 40 light years. It is located in the same spiral arm of our Galaxy as the Sun. The Great Nebula in Orion is an immense, nearby starbirth region.

Each day, NASA features a different image or photograph of the universe with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. The Great Nebula in Orion was the subject of the 26 October 2026 feature.