orion nebula

English - English

Definition of orion nebula in English English dictionary

A diffuse nebula visible in the night sky below Orion's Belt; it is approximately 40 light years across. It is one of the brightest nebulae visible to the naked eye and is the closest region of stellar formation to Earth

Bright nebula, faintly visible to the unaided eye in the sword of the hunter's figure in the constellation Orion. About 1,500 light-years from Earth, it contains hundreds of very hot young stars clustered about a group of four massive stars known as the Trapezium. Radiation primarily from these four stars excites the nebula to glow. Discovered in the early 17th century, it was the first nebula to be photographed (1880)

Hyphenation

O·ri·on ne·bu·la

Turkish pronunciation

ōrayın nebyılı

Synonyms

m42, ngc

Pronunciation

/ōˈrīən ˈnebyələ/ /oʊˈraɪən ˈnɛbjələ/