APOD: 2026 February 2 – Orion: The Running Man Nebula

Good morning, Rallypoint, and welcome to the February 2, 2026 Ground Hog Day edition of Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).

We return back to the constellation Orion today for a look at the Running Man Nebula, a reflection nebula embedded in Sharpless 279 (aka Sh 2-279).

The Running Man Nebula is a popular target, as it lies close to the Orion Nebula and has many nearby guide stars. The outline of the running man shows up clearly here, but according to Wikipedia it is difficult to perceive visually through telescopes <shrug>. The nebula spans about 15 light years and lies about 1,500 light years away.