M42/M43
& The
Running Man Nebula
(NGC 1976 & NGC 1977)
Part of the vast complex of dust and gas in the constellation Orion, M42 and M43 are parts of the same reflection nebula and are a stellar nursery. The M42/M43 complex is frequently called “The Great Nebula in Orion”. M42/M43 are about 1500 light years away and one of the brightest diffuse nebula in the sky. The M42/M43 complex is easily visible to the naked eye from a relatively dark site as a fuzzy patch in the middle of Orion’s sword and is very impressive in any kind of astronomical instrument from binoculars to telescopes.
NGC 1977 is an emission/reflection nebula and part of the same general complex as M42/M43. It is not as bright or impressive as M42 and is frequently overlooked for this reason. It is an interesting object in photographs however and the bright blue provides a nice contrast with the colors of M42.
Details:
Imaged on 11/5/2005 at 2:20 AM Central Time from Fordland, MO
Equipment:
Imaging Scope: 8” F4.9 Orion Reflector
Guide Scope: 120mm F5.0 Orion refractor
Guiding: GuideDog software and SAC-7b camera
Mount: Losmandy CG-11
No flat or bias frames
Captured with DSLR Control
Focused & Processed with Images Plus 2.5
