Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Orion (Ori)  ·  Contains:  36 Ori)  ·  36 ups Ori  ·  41 Ori A)  ·  41 Ori C  ·  41 Ori D  ·  41 the01 Ori  ·  42 Ori)  ·  42 c Ori  ·  43 Ori)  ·  44 Ori)  ·  44 iot Ori  ·  45 Ori  ·  49 Ori)  ·  49 d Ori  ·  Great Orion Nebula  ·  HD294165  ·  HD294167  ·  HD294168  ·  HD294169  ·  HD294170  ·  HD294177  ·  HD294178  ·  HD294179  ·  HD294180  ·  HD294181  ·  HD294203  ·  HD294204  ·  HD294205  ·  HD294206  ·  HD294207  ·  And 231 more.
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M42 - The Great Nebula in Orion, Jake Turner
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M42 - The Great Nebula in Orion

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M42 - The Great Nebula in Orion, Jake Turner
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M42 - The Great Nebula in Orion

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Description

M42, commonly known as the Great Nebula in Orion, is a massive interstellar cloud complex situated within the Orion constellation, approximately 1,344 light-years away from Earth. Spanning about 24 light-years across, this nebula serves as a stellar nursery, hosting the formation of new stars within its dense pockets of gas and dust. At its center resides the striking Trapezium Cluster, composed of several hot, young stars that emit intense radiation, illuminating the surrounding nebula. When observed through a telescope, M42 reveals intricate structures and filaments, showcasing the intricate dynamics of stellar birth and evolution. Despite its vast distance, M42's brightness allows it to be easily visible to the naked eye, making it a favorite target for both amateur and professional astronomers alike. Exploring M42 provides invaluable insights into the fundamental processes driving the lifecycle of stars and the composition of our galaxy.

This image of Orion was taken over the course of four nights in December of 2023. My house, some powerlines, and trees made each night a short burst of sub-exposures. Overall over 13 hours of good data was collected through the L-Extreme filter. When winter rolls around again I will probably revisit this to add some SII data with the Color Magic D2 filter and reprocess in a different color palette. Enjoy!

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M42 - The Great Nebula in Orion, Jake Turner

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