List of largest nebulae

Below is a list of the largest nebulae so far discovered, ordered by actual size (a list by angular diameter is listed separately below). This list is prone to change because of inconsistencies between studies, the great distances of nebulae from our stellar neighbourhood, and the constant refinement of technology and engineering. Nebulae have no standardized boundaries, so the measurements are subject to revision. Lastly, scientists are still defining the features and parameters of nebulae. Because of these rapid developments and adjustments, this list might be unreliable.

NGC 604, one of largest nebulae (H II region) is localed in the Triangulum Galaxy (viewed by the Hubble Space Telescope).

List
List of the largest nebulae
Nebula Maximum dimension
(in light-years/parsecs)		 Type Notes
NGC 262 Halo Cloud 1,300,000 ly (400,000 pc)[1] H I region Spiral nebula surrounding NGC 262, which is one of the largest known galaxies.
Leo Ring 650,000 ly (200,000 pc)[2] HVC
Magellanic Stream 600,000 ly (180,000 pc)[3] complex of HVCs Connects the Large and Small Magellanic clouds; extends across 180° of the sky.
Lyman-alpha blob 1 300,000 ly (92,000 pc)[4] LαB Largest blob in the LAB Giant Concentration
Himiko Gas Cloud 55,000 ly (17,000 pc)[5] Intergalactic cloud
(possible LαB)		 One of the most massive lyman-alpha blobs known
HVC 127-41-330 20,000 ly (6,100 pc)[6] HVC
Smith's Cloud 9,800 ly (3,000 pc)[7] HVC Extends about 20° of the sky
Tarantula Nebula 1,895 ly (581 pc)[8][lower-alpha 1] H II region Most active starburst region in the Local Group
NGC 604 1,520 ly (470 pc)[9][10][lower-alpha 2] H II region Located in the Triangulum Galaxy
N44 1,000 ly (310 pc)[11] Emission nebula
N11 1,000 ly (310 pc)[12] H II region
NGC 2404 940 ly (290 pc) H II region Largest H II region located in the spiral galaxy NGC 2403
NGC 595 880 ly (270 pc)[13] H II region
NGC 6822 838 ly (257 pc) H II region
Gum Nebula 809–950 ly (248–291 pc)[14][15] Emission nebula
Bubble Nebula (NGC 6822) 758 ly (232 pc)[16][17][18] H II region
NGC 6188 600 ly (180 pc) Emission nebula
NGC 592 590 ly (180 pc)[19][20] H II region
N119 570 ly (170 pc)[21] H II region Peculiar S-shape
Sh2-310 531–681 ly (163–209 pc)[22][lower-alpha 3] H II region Nebula surrounding VY Canis Majoris, which is one of largest known stars.
Carina Nebula 460 ly (140 pc)[23] H II region Nearest giant H II region to Earth
Dragonfish Nebula 450 ly (140 pc)[24] Emission nebula
RCW 49 350 ly (110 pc)[25] H II region
Heart Nebula 330 ly (100 pc) H II region
Westerhout 5 (Soul Nebula) 330 ly (100 pc) H II region
Henize 70 (N70 or DEM L301)[26] 300 ly (92 pc)[27] H II region The N 70 Nebula, in the Large Magellanic Cloud has a shell structure and is really a bubble in space. It is a "Super Bubble".
Barnard's Loop 300 ly (92 pc)[28][29] H II region
Sh2-54 252 ly (77 pc)[30][31] H II region
Prawn Nebula 250 ly (77 pc)[32] H II region
NGC 7822 150 ly (46 pc)[33] Emission nebula
IC 2944 142 ly (44 pc)[34][35] Emission nebula
Eagle Nebula 140 ly (43 pc)[36] H II region Part of another diffuse nebula IC 4703.
Rosette Nebula 130 ly (40 pc) H II region
Lagoon Nebula 110 ly (34 pc) H II region
NGC 3576 100 ly (31 pc) Emission nebula
Veil Nebula 100-130 ly (31-40 pc) Supernova remnant

By angular diameter
Celestial object Angular diameter or size Relative size
Magellanic Stream over 100°
Gum Nebula 36° 1,000 ly
Milky Way 30° (by 360°) 105,700 ly
Serpens-Aquila Rift 20° by 10° 575 ly or more
Canis Major Overdensity 12° by 12°
Smith's Cloud 11°
Large Magellanic Cloud 10.75° by 9.17° Brightest galaxy in the night sky, 0.9 apparent magnitude (V)
Barnard's loop 10°
Zeta Ophiuchi Sh2-27 nebula 10°
Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy 7.5° by 3.6°
Coalsack nebula 7° by 5°
Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex 4.5° by 6.5°
Hyades 5°30′ Brightest star cluster in the night sky, 0.5 apparent magnitude (V)
Small Magellanic Cloud 5°20′ by 3°5′
Andromeda Galaxy 3°10′ by 1° About six times the size of the Sun or the Moon. Only the much smaller core is visible without long-exposure photography.
Veil Nebula 3°
Heart Nebula 2.5° by 2.5°
Westerhout 5 2.3° by 1.25°
Sh2-54 2.3°
Carina Nebula 2° by 2° Brightest nebula in the night sky, 1.0 apparent magnitude (V)
North America Nebula 2° by 100′
Orion Nebula 1°5′ by 1°
Sun 31′27″ – 32′32″ 30–31 times the maximum value for Venus (orange bar below) / 1887–1952″
Moon 29′20″ – 34′6″ 28–32.5 times the maximum value for Venus (orange bar below) / 1760–2046″
Helix Nebula About 16′ by 28′
Spire in Eagle Nebula 4′40″ Length is 280″

See also

Notes
  1. distance × sin( diameter_angle ) = 1,895 ly
  2. distance × sin( diameter_angle ) = 1,520 ly
  3. Those measurements are based on an apparent diameter of 480 arcminutes (') plus an assumed distance of 1.5 kpc and the current distance of VY CMa which is about 1.17 kpc as the nebula is sometimes found to have the same distance as VY CMa.

References
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Sources
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