NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 26, 2026 featured a deep image of M42, the Great Nebula in Orion, credited to Roberto Palaia. According to the accompanying explanation, the nebula is one of the most famous astronomical nebulas, with glowing gas surrounding hot young stars at the edge of an immense interstellar molecular cloud about 1500 light-years away.

The image, presented in assigned colors highlighted by hydrogen emission, shows wisps and sheets of dust and gas particularly clearly. The nebula spans about 40 light years and sits in the same spiral arm of the Galaxy as the Sun. It can be seen with the unaided eye near Orion's belt of three stars.

The explanation notes that the Orion Nebula contains the bright open star cluster known as the Trapezium as well as many stellar nurseries, which hold hydrogen gas, hot young stars, proplyds and stellar jets throwing off material at high speeds.