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Nebula · Orion

Mairan's Nebula

M43 · NGC 1982
Above the horizon after darkHighest after dark 05:17 · south · 33°
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Mairan's NebulaN ↑ E ← · 36° FIELD

Where is the Mairan's Nebula?

Times for LondonChange city

Look south, about 33° up at 05:17 in Orion. It rises at 00:01 and climbs through the night.

Rises
00:01
Highest
05:37
Sets
11:14
Best after dark
05:17 · 33°

Can I see the Mairan's Nebula tonight?

From London tonight, the Mairan's Nebula is above the horizon after dark. It’s highest just before dawn, around 05:17, in the south at 33°.

At magnitude 9.0, with its light spread out, it needs a telescope and a dark sky.

This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.

What does the Mairan's Nebula look like?

Eyes

Not visible

Too faint to see by eye.

Binoculars

A soft, gray glow.

Telescope

Gray-green glow, with more structure in larger telescopes. Color shows only in photos.

What you’re likely to see, not what a space telescope photographs. General guidance from catalog brightness and size, not a forecast for tonight.

About the Mairan's Nebula

The Mairan's Nebula (M43) is a nebula in Orion, with a total brightness of magnitude 9.0 and an apparent size of 20′ (0.6× the full Moon).

Nearby in the sky

Sources: OpenNGC (CC BY-SA 4.0); star chart: Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences