The Orion complex.

The Orion complex (Orion Molecular Cloud Complex), is located in the constellation of Orion, roughly 1,600 light years away from Earth, estimated to be hundreds of light years across in size. The cloud is made up of different nebulae such as, dark nebulae, emission nebulae and reflection nebulae. These different nebulae have different characteristics, but they are fundamentally made up of vast amounts of gas, dust and a huge number of stars. The complex can be separated into different areas, with the Great Nebula in Orion seen near the centre of the image, the belt of Orion sits above it, whilst Barnard's Loop arcs around the left hand side of the image. Some parts of the complex can be seen through binoculars or with a telescope, but some parts can also be seen with the naked eye.