Highlights of Messier 78: a reflection nebula in Orion

This panel highlights three regions from a new image of the reflection nebula Messier 78 that was captured using the Wide Field Imager camera on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory, Chile. The upper panel covers the most northerly part of the nebula and reveals the illuminating star at its heart and many complex dust structures. The central panel highlights the rich textures of the dust clouds around the central part of Messier 78. The lower panel shows the peculiar, highly variable, McNeil’s Nebula as well as many strange pink features created by jets from newborn stars.