Spitzer's Orion

The Orion nebula was most likely discovered in 1610, by Nicholas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc. It was officially discovered in 1611 by Johann Baptist Cysatus. The Orion Nebula is the brightest diffuse visible in the night sky, and its component stars have been catalogued since Ptolomey in 150 B.C. It is located approximately 1600 light-years away from earth. It is designated as Messier Object 42, or M42. Orion's visible points of light are not merely stars; contained within the "sword" of Orion is also the Great Nebula of Orion.