正如马头，火焰，以及猎户星座一样，M 78是大猎户座分子云可见的一部分，约有1500光年的距离。
Like the Horsehead, the Flame, and the Orion Nebula itself, M78 is a readily visible part of the large Orion Molecular Cloud complex some 1, 500 light-years distant.
猎户座大星云区这是猎户星座的部分近照，图中粉红色旋转着氢气云团，暗色的是星际尘埃团。
Orion Nebula Area by Fabian Neyer. A deep image of part of the constellation of Orion showing swirling pink clouds of hydrogen and dark clumps of interstellar dust.
应用推荐