The constellation Orion holds a special place in my...

The constellation Orion holds a special place in my astronomy-shaped heart, from Barnard’s Loop (Sh 2-276) to the Witch’s Head (IC 2118) across from Rigel, to the pair of stars at Orion’s shoulders, Betelgeuse and Bellatrix, and of course, M42 the Orion Nebula, which we really should continue to call the “Great Orion Nebula” because, well, it’s great and arguably magnificent. Among all of Orion’s well studied and photographed nebulae is another favorite, the mysterious Messier 78 (M78), an almost violently colored and shaped reflection nebula coiled in dark clouds of interstellar dust that makes it look like it’s poised to attack Barnard’s Loop. (What is “astronomy-shaped” you ask? Probably something like a refractor telescope shape, or possibly like the stacks of money I have spent over the years on telescopes, cameras, mounts, and other equipment).