January 17, 2022
At 8:30 pm, the constellation Orion should be clearly visible in the southeastern sky. This constellation hosts the Orion Nebula, which is the closest star forming region to us at only 1,500 light-years away. Due to its proximity to Earth, it is possible to see this nebula with the naked eye. It is located just below Orion’s belt, often described as the middle “star” in the hunter’s sword.
The constellation Orion contains a large complex of dust and gas called the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. Messier 42 is one of the brightest parts of this large structure. Star map created using Stellarium. Image credit: Ole Nielsen