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M43

Messier 43 (M43), also known as De Mairan's Nebula, is a small emission nebula in the constellation Orion. It lies adjacent to the brighter Orion Nebula (M42) and is part of the same star-forming complex, the Orion Molecular Cloud. M43 appears as a distinct glow with fainter surrounding gas, and is visually connected to M42 by shared nebulosity in wide-field images.

Distance and size: M43 is at roughly the same distance as the Orion Nebula, about 1,300 to

Illumination and composition: The nebula is primarily hydrogen gas ionized by a nearby hot, young star, giving

Observation: M43 is accessible to amateur astronomers and is often observed in the same field of view

History: The object was cataloged by Charles Messier in 1771 as part of his deep-sky survey. It

Astronomy context: As part of the Orion complex, M43 contributes to understanding high-mass star formation and

1,600
light-years
from
Earth.
Its
apparent
size
is
a
few
light-years
across.
it
characteristic
emission
features
that
are
visible
in
optical
and
narrowband
images.
The
region
provides
insight
into
early
stages
of
massive
star
formation
and
the
interaction
between
young
stars
and
their
natal
gas.
as
M42.
It
can
be
seen
with
moderate-sized
telescopes
and
is
enhanced
by
narrowband
filters
(for
example,
H-alpha),
which
emphasize
the
emission
nebulosity.
is
also
known
by
the
historical
name
De
Mairan's
Nebula,
reflecting
early
18th-century
studies
of
the
Orion
region.
the
structure
of
nearby
star-forming
regions.
It
is
frequently
studied
in
conjunction
with
M42
to
examine
the
dynamics
and
evolution
of
the
Orion
Nebula
area.