Messier 42 (Orion)
Fig. 1 - One of the most scrutinized, observed and photographed objects in the night sky: The diffuse nebula and hotbed of ongoing star birth Messier 42 in the constellation Orion, photographed with an 8-inch f/5 Newtonian reflector on a ZWO AM5 mount.
| Object name: | Constellation: | Coordinates: | Apparent size: | Visual brightness: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messier 42 (= NGC 1976) | Orion | 20h35m / -05°23' | 65' x 60' | 4.0 mag |
| Messier 43 (= NGC 1982) | Orion | 05h36m / -05°16' | 20' x 15' | 9.0 mag |
| Sh 2-279 | Orion | 05h35m / -04°47' | 40' x 25' | 7.0 mag |
The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42 & Messier 43) and the HII region Sh 2-279 ("Sharpless 279") in the constellation of Orion. The diffuse nebula is a region of star formation. It is 1,344 light-years from Earth and measures 24 light-years across. It is visible to the naked eye. Sh 2-279, the bluish region on the left in Fig. 1, comprises three NGC nebulae, NGC 1973, NGC 1975, and NGC 1977 that are divided by darker nebulous regions. It also includes the open cluster NGC 1981 (source: Wikipedia).
Exposure time: 3h (60x3min) at gain 0 and -10°C, taken on December 1, 2024. Processing with Astro Pixel Processor (APP) and Photoshop. Darks, flats, bias and darkflats were used.
Equipment: Cooled ASI 2600MC Pro camera, TeleVue Paracorr Type II coma corrector, 8" f/5 "ONTC" Newtonian telescope riding on a ZWO AM5 Strain Wave Mount, ZWO OAG-L off axis system, ASI 174MM Mini guide camera, ASIAIR Plus.
Equipment: Cooled ASI 2600MC Pro camera, TeleVue Paracorr Type II coma corrector, 8" f/5 "ONTC" Newtonian telescope riding on a ZWO AM5 Strain Wave Mount, ZWO OAG-L off axis system, ASI 174MM Mini guide camera, ASIAIR Plus.
Messier 42 was also captured with a 16-inch dobsonian on an equatorial platform. The image can be seen here.
Fig. 2 - Search chart for Messier 42. Copyright 2024 'The Mag-7 Star Atlas Project', www.siaris.net.