Orion Nebula and NGC 1999

M42, or the Orion Nebula as it's known (I won't use the term "nebula" anymore because of the "What the hell?" jokes), is 1,500 light-years away from us and 15 light-years in diameter. It's the brightest nebula in the sky visible even with the naked eye (you need sharp eyes). It's the first nebula new to skywatching often finds, especially in the winter months. It's located in the constellation Orion, to the left and south of Orion's Belt. I discovered it by chance while examining Orion's Belt with my first pair of 20x60 binoculars (I'm currently in the process of choosing a telescope).

In this image, NGC 1999, a bright blue reflection nebula located south of the Orion Nebula (the blue area in the image center), was previously called a dark nebula because of the black patch of gas and dense clouds that blocked light.