De Mairan's Nebula is a diffuse nebula in Orion, 1,300 light-years away
De Mairan's Nebula (M43, NGC 1982) is a diffuse nebula in the constellation Orion , 1,300 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 9.0 and spans 20′ × 15′ of sky, about 7.6 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in January.
Nebula: a cloud of gas and dust. Emission nebulae glow on their own, lit by ultraviolet light from hot young stars; reflection nebulae shine by starlight scattered from dust; dark nebulae block the light behind them.
Finding De Mairan's Nebula from Rigel
Rigel
M43
ORION
De Mairan's Nebula lies 6.0° northeast of Rigel , the magnitude 0.2 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
De Mairan's Nebula is highest in the evening in January
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 16° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 33° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -43° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -44° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 43° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 42° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -53° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 52° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 51° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 35° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -41° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -61° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -41° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 61° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 60° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 40° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -69° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -70° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -44° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 69° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 68° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -45° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -74° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -75° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 43° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 75° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 73° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -73° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -74° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -45° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 45° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 75° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 73° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -68° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -69° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 70° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 68° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 45° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -39° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -60° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -61° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -39° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 44° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 62° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 61° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 42° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 53° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 52° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -42° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 85°N.
De Mairan's Nebula is 1,300 light-years away
The light seen from De Mairan's Nebula tonight left it about 1,300 years ago, around 726 AD. It ranks 8 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: VLBA 388 pc (Kounkel 2017) / Gaia DR2 403 pc (Kuhn 2019).
Objects within 6° of De Mairan's Nebula
De Mairan's Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Designations M43, NGC 1982 Type diffuse nebula Constellation Orion Right ascension (J2000) 05h 35.5m Declination (J2000) -05° 16′ Magnitude 9.0 Apparent size 20′ × 15′ True size 7.6 light-years Distance 1,300 light-years (VLBA 388 pc (Kounkel 2017) / Gaia DR2 403 pc (Kuhn 2019)) Best month January Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 14
