Belt and sword region of the spectacular constellation of Orion, the hunter, featuring the Orion Nebula. The three stars forming Orion's Belt are seen at center. The round patch seen below the stars forming Orion's Belt is the Orion Nebula M42. The Orion Nebula is one of the few emission nebulae that can be seen with the naked eye. It is about 20 light years across and is found at a distance of approximately 1200 light years.