Silas Venier

Messier 78 is a reflection nebula in the popular constellation Orion and a part of the larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. A reflection nebula contains, as the name implies, clouds of interstellar gas that reflect the light of nearby stars.

How to find it:

Finding M78 is as easy as locating Orion’s “Belt” – the famous asterism of three stars. Simply identify Zeta Orionis (Alnitak) the easternmost of the trio and you’ll find it about 2 degrees (less than a thumb length) north and 1 ½ degrees (less two finger widths) east. However, seeing M78 isn’t as easy as finding it! Because it has a fairly low visual brightness and isn’t particularly large, you’ll need a dark night and good sky conditions. (Source)