Messier 42 (Orion)
Fig. 1 - The closest large star-forming region to Earth: The diffuse nebula Messier 42 in Orion, photographed with a 16-inch f/4.5 Dob on an equatorial platform.
| Object name: | Constellation: | Coordinates: | Apparent size: | Visual brightness: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messier 43 (= NGC 1982) | Orion | 05h36m / -05°16' | 20' x 15' | 9.0 mag |
The famous Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42 & Messier 43) 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. (source: Wikipedia).
One hundred and four 1-minute exposures (104 minutes total exposure) at gain 0, taken on December 17 / 18, 2023, were added for this shot with Astro Pixel Processor (APP) software and the final image processing was done in Photoshop. Darks, flats, bias and darkflats were used.
Equipment: Cooled ASI 2600MC Pro camera, TeleVue Paracorr Type II coma corrector, 16" f/4.5 "Ninja" dobsonian telescope riding on a dual-axis Tom Osypowski equatorial platform, Lacerta MGEN autoguider, Lacerta off axis system.
Field of view comparison: image of the moon with the same setup.
Fig. 2 - Search chart for Messier 42 & Messier 43. Copyright 2024 'The Mag-7 Star Atlas Project', www.siaris.net.