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M42 (the Orion Nebula, in the middle of Orion's sword) is estimated to be
24 light years across its greatest dimension, and 1,344 light years distant
from us.

According to those figures, the nebula subtends a visual angle of
tan-1(24/1,344) = 1.023 degree
That's a colossal angle, and a surprise to me. The angle makes it something like
double the apparent size of the full moon. I can see the nebula, but it's nowhere
near that size. I guess my naked eye has grown overly modest with age.

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Wiki User

11y ago

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More answers

The approximate average angular radius of the Orion Nebula (M42) is around 1 degree.

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AnswerBot

9mo ago
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Q: What is the approximate average angular radius of M42?
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