Flame Nebula
Scientific overview
Flame Nebula is an H II region in the constellation Orion. It shines at apparent magnitude 11 and spans about 90 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · IC 434
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 85.25 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -2.5 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). This is a Galactic object: its Doppler shift is shown as a radial velocity, not a cosmological redshift. Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Orion
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower SwordNGC 1980 | Cluster with nebulosity | 2.5 | 9.3 |
| Great Orion NebulaM 42 · NGC 1976 | Cluster with nebulosity | 4 | 90 |
| Upper SwordNGC 1981 | Cluster with nebulosity | 4.2 | 9 |
| NGC 1788NGC 1788 | Reflection nebula | 5.8 | 2 |
| NGC 2169NGC 2169 | Open cluster | 5.9 | 7.2 |
| NGC 1662NGC 1662 | Open cluster | 6.4 | 13.8 |
| NGC 2175NGC 2175 | Cluster with nebulosity | 6.8 | 5.4 |
| NGC 1973NGC 1973 | Nebula | 7 | 5 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.