Orion Nebula and Running Man (M42 and NGC1977)

The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, being south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion, and is known as the middle "star" in the "sword" of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. It is 1,500 light-years away and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth.  The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light-years across (so its apparent size from Earth is approximately 1 degree). It has a mass of about 2,000 times that of the Sun. 

The Running Man Nebula (also knows as NGC1977) is a reflection nebula near the Orion nebula. The Running Man Nebula got its popular nickname because its shape resembles the figure of a running man. The two nebulae appear in the same field of view and are frequently photographed together.

While the Orion Nebula is visible even without binoculars, the outline of the running man in the Running Man Nebula is a difficult target for amateur telescopes. It is best seen photographically. The reflection nebula itself can be glimpsed in small and medium telescopes.