<p>This colorful image features a small part of M78, a reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion. A reflection nebula is created when light from a star is scattered or reflected off a nearby dust cloud. M78 is located approximately 1,600 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.
</p><p>M78 was discovered in 1780 by Charles Messier’s colleague Pierre Méchain. It is best seen in January. M78 can be found in binoculars and small telescopes, but telescopes 8 inches or larger will reveal more detail in the nebula. M78 has the distinction of appearing very comet like, with one side of the nebula flaring away like a comet’s tail. This has fooled many comet hunters into believing they have made a new discovery.
</p><p>This infrared view was made using Hubble’s Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) and Wide Field Camera 3. The Hubble observations were taken to develop a better understanding of protostellar evolution, the early developmental stages in a star’s life.
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Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Muzerolle (Space Telescope Science Institute), and S. Megeath (University of Toledo)
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