Orion Nebula (M42)
21st-22nd January 2021, The first imaging session in over 2 months and the first opportunity to try out my new Optolong L-Pro filter to see how effective it is against London light pollution. I think it makes a big improvement. This composite was made by blending two images, one made from 5 minute and 2-minute shots for the outer parts of the nebula and one made from 30-second shots for the bright inner region known as the Trapezium. This is just a test so the image isn't particularly well-framed but it came out reasonably well.
[From Wikipedia]The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42 and NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, being south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion.[b] It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. It is approximately 1,344 light-years away and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across. It has a mass of about 2,000 times that of the Sun. Older texts frequently refer to the Orion Nebula as the Great Nebula in Orion or the Great Orion Nebula.
The Orion Nebula is one of the most scrutinized and photographed objects in the night sky and is among the most intensely studied celestial features. The nebula has revealed much about the process of how stars and planetary systems are formed from collapsing clouds of gas and dust. Astronomers have directly observed protoplanetary disks, brown dwarfs, intense and turbulent motions of the gas, and the photo-ionizing effects of massive nearby stars in the nebula.
21-22/01/2021
011 x 300-second exposures at Unity Gain (139) cooled to -20°C
002 x 120-second exposures at Unity Gain (139) cooled to -20°C
014 x 030-second exposures at Unity Gain (139) cooled to -20°C
113 x dark frames
020 x flat frames
100 x bias frames
Binning 1x1
Total integration time = 1 hour and 6 minutes
Captured with APT
Guided with PHD2
Processed in Nebulosity and Photoshop
Equipment:
Telescope: Sky-Watcher Explorer-150PDS
Mount: Skywatcher EQ5
Guide Scope: Orion 50mm Mini
Guiding Camera: ZWO ASI120MC
Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI1600MC Pro
Baader Mark-III MPCC Coma Corrector
Optolong L-Pro filter
Orion Nebula (M42)
21st-22nd January 2021, The first imaging session in over 2 months and the first opportunity to try out my new Optolong L-Pro filter to see how effective it is against London light pollution. I think it makes a big improvement. This composite was made by blending two images, one made from 5 minute and 2-minute shots for the outer parts of the nebula and one made from 30-second shots for the bright inner region known as the Trapezium. This is just a test so the image isn't particularly well-framed but it came out reasonably well.
[From Wikipedia]The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42 and NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, being south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion.[b] It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. It is approximately 1,344 light-years away and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across. It has a mass of about 2,000 times that of the Sun. Older texts frequently refer to the Orion Nebula as the Great Nebula in Orion or the Great Orion Nebula.
The Orion Nebula is one of the most scrutinized and photographed objects in the night sky and is among the most intensely studied celestial features. The nebula has revealed much about the process of how stars and planetary systems are formed from collapsing clouds of gas and dust. Astronomers have directly observed protoplanetary disks, brown dwarfs, intense and turbulent motions of the gas, and the photo-ionizing effects of massive nearby stars in the nebula.
21-22/01/2021
011 x 300-second exposures at Unity Gain (139) cooled to -20°C
002 x 120-second exposures at Unity Gain (139) cooled to -20°C
014 x 030-second exposures at Unity Gain (139) cooled to -20°C
113 x dark frames
020 x flat frames
100 x bias frames
Binning 1x1
Total integration time = 1 hour and 6 minutes
Captured with APT
Guided with PHD2
Processed in Nebulosity and Photoshop
Equipment:
Telescope: Sky-Watcher Explorer-150PDS
Mount: Skywatcher EQ5
Guide Scope: Orion 50mm Mini
Guiding Camera: ZWO ASI120MC
Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI1600MC Pro
Baader Mark-III MPCC Coma Corrector
Optolong L-Pro filter