Observation by Martin Butcher: M42 and M43 - The Orion Nebula

Uploaded by

Stuart Morris

Observer

Martin Butcher

Observed

2010 Dec 12 - 23:04

Uploaded

2021 Apr 05 - 16:07

Objects

The Orion Nebula (M42)
M43

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Constellation

Orion

Field centre

RA: 05^h35^m
Dec: -05°22'
Position angle: -1°34'

Field size

3°24' × 2°13'

Equipment

Meade LX-90 8" telescope fitted to its field tripod by an equatorial wedge.
LX-90 Periodic Error Correction enabled.
Dew Removal straps fitted to telescope and camera lens
Telescope and camera powered by Mains Power.
Stock Canon 40D with 200mm f/2.8 lens stopped down to f/4
Telescope driven but unguided

Exposure

Twelve sub-exposures of 3 minutes, 60 seconds, 15 seconds and 4 seconds long each. All sub-exposures taken at ISO400.

Location

Isle of Colonsay

Target name

M42, M43 duo

Title

M42 and M43 - The Orion Nebula

About this image

M42 the Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula in the constellation Orion.

M43, also known as De Mairan's Nebula. It is physically part of the Orion Nebula in the constellation of Orion.

Equipment used:- Stock Canon 40D with 200mm f/2.8 lens stopped down to f/4 mounted piggy-back on Meade LX-90 8" telescope fitted to its field tripod by an equatorial wedge. Telescope polar aligned. LX-90 Periodic Error Correction enabled. Dew Removal straps fitted to telescope and camera lens and operating. Telescope driven but unguided. Telescope and camera powered by Mains Power.

Exposure details:- Twelve sub-exposures of 3 minutes, 60 seconds, 15 seconds and 4 seconds long each. All sub-exposures taken at ISO400. Ambient temperature minus 7 degrees Celsius.

Processing details:- After quality control 9 x 3 minute, 10 x 60 second, 11 x 15 second and 11 x 4 second sub-exposures were calibrated with Dark, Flat-field and Bias master frames before being combined as separate images in Images Plus. These separate images were then processed in Images Plus. Transferred to Photoshop CS5 a masked composite image was produced before noise reduction in Noise Ninja. North is at the top. Image cropped to give field of view of 4.8 degrees x 3.2 degrees.

Narrative description:- Seven days after New Moon and that Moon was obscured behind a hill before imaging commenced. The weather was cold, clear and calm with almost no dew; however, the dew that was present turned immediately to ice and frost.

Files associated with this observation

MButcherNGC1976 or M42 & NGC1982 or M43 & NGC1977.jpg (245.8 kB)

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