About this Object:
The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated south of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. M42 is located at a distance of 1,344 ± 20 light years and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across.

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.

About this Photo:
Date(s): October 18, 2009
Location: From my driveway in Georgetown, Texas
Telescope: Orion ED80 @ F7.5
Mount: HEQ-5
Guiding: Orion StarShoot AutoGuider / Orion ST80
Camera: Canon 40D Modified
Filter: Zhumell Skyglow
Exposure: 10x15s + 10x30s + 20x60s + 10x 120s ISO1600 (47 Minutes total)
Acquisition: ImagesPlus 3.75 Camera Control
Processing: ImagesPlus 3.75 – Darks,Flats,Bias
Post-processing: Adobe Photoshop CS3; Gradient Exterminator; Noise Ninja; Noel Carboni's Tools;
Temperature(s): 55º F