Astronomy:Messier 78

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Messier 78
Reflection nebula
Image of Messier 78 captured using the Wide Field Imager camera on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory.
Observation data: J2000.0 epoch
Right ascension 05h 46m 46.7s[1]
Declination+00° 00′ 50″[1]
Distance1,350 ly (415 pc)[2] ly
Apparent magnitude (V)8.3[3]
Apparent dimensions (V)8′ × 6′[3]
ConstellationOrion
Physical characteristics
Radius5 ly
Notable featuresPart of the Orion complex
DesignationsCed 55u, DG 80, IRAS 05442-0000, [KPS2012] MWSC 0664, NGC 2068[1]
See also: Lists of nebulae

Messier 78 (also known as M78 or NGC 2068) is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion. It is the brightest diffuse reflection nebula in a group that includes NGC 2064, NGC 2067, and NGC 2071, all part of the Orion B molecular cloud complex. Located approximately 1,350 light-years from Earth,[2] M78 is visible in small telescopes as a hazy patch illuminated by two B-type stars, HD 38563 A and HD 38563 B, of 10th and 11th magnitude.[4] It is a popular target for amateur astronomers, who have given it the common name Casper the Friendly Ghost Nebula[5]

Discovery

Discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780, M78 was included in Charles Messier's catalog of comet-like objects that same year.[6]

Structure and composition

The nebula's dust cloud reflects light from its two central stars, making it visible. Infrared observations reveal an embedded star cluster[2] and a hierarchy of gas clumps with core masses ranging from 0.3 M☉ to 5 M☉.[7] M78 hosts:

Observations

On May 23, 2024, the European Space Agency released a high-resolution image of M78 from the Euclid mission, revealing hundreds of thousands of previously unseen objects, including substellar bodies.[10]

  • VISTA image of Messier 78.
    VISTA image of Messier 78.
  • Spitzer image of Messier 78.
    Spitzer image of Messier 78.
  • Euclid image of star-forming region Messier 78
    Euclid image of star-forming region Messier 78

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "M 78". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=M+78. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Walker-Smith, S. L.; Richer, J. S.; Buckle, J. V.; Smith, R. J.; Greaves, J. S.; Bonnell, I. A. (March 2013), "The structure and kinematics of dense gas in NGC 2068", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 429 (4): 3252–3265, doi:10.1093/mnras/sts582, Bibcode: 2013MNRAS.429.3252W. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Messier 78". https://messier.seds.org/m/m078.html. 
  4. ↑ Strom, S. E. et al. (July 1974), "Infrared and optical observations of Herbig-Haro objects.", The Astrophysical Journal 191: 111–142, doi:10.1086/152948, Bibcode: 1974ApJ...191..111S. 
  5. ↑ https://www.aapod2.com/blog/messier-78-casper-the-friendly-ghost
  6. ↑ Frommert, Hartmut; Kronberg, Christine (9 October 2018), "Messier 78", SEDS Messier pages (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)), http://messier.seds.org/m/m078.html, retrieved 2018-12-05. 
  7. ↑ Motte, F. et al. (June 2001), "A SCUBA survey of the NGC 2068/2071 protoclusters", Astronomy and Astrophysics 372 (3): L41–L44, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20010543, Bibcode: 2001A&A...372L..41M. 
  8. ↑ Herbig, G. H.; Kuhi, L. V. (February 1963), "Emission-Line Stars in the Region of NGC 2068", The Astrophysical Journal 137: 398, doi:10.1086/147519, Bibcode: 1963ApJ...137..398H. 
  9. ↑ Zhao, Bing et al. (September 1999), "Newly Discovered Herbig-Haro Objects in the NGC 2068 and NGC 2071 Regions", The Astronomical Journal 118 (3): 1347–1353, doi:10.1086/301002, Bibcode: 1999AJ....118.1347Z. 
  10. ↑ "Euclid's new image of star-forming region Messier 78". ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA. 23 May 2024. https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2024/05/Euclid_s_new_image_of_star-forming_region_Messier_78. 

Coordinates: Sky map 05h 46.7m 00s, +00° 03′ 00″



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