Dis I just see Orion Nebula???

[Tom_m7117]

Hi all,

My second night viewing with my new 200p dob, last night Jupiter got the works this evenings mission was Orion Nebula. I'm pretty sure what I was looking at was it but want to be sure!!

Ok so I no I was looking in the right place what I saw was a small group of about 4 stars which almost look like they were in a circle, surrounding this was what looked to me like dust clouds and to the right looked like a mini Orion's Belt with 3 stars in a line. There was no colour and not a lot of defination in the clouds but certainly looked like dust. Can anyone confirm I was seeing it??

Thanks guys

[andy77]

I would say it was the orion nebula, i actually took my 1st image of it last night

Did it look like this?

Andy

[furrysocks]

Yep, spot on.

http://www.celestronimages.com/details.php?image_id=5042

[LukeSkywatcher]

Hi Tom. It sounds like you were looking at the trapizium which is the centre of the Orion Nebula. Did it look anything even remotely like this:

http://barbadosphoto...rion_nebula.jpg

If so, then you were spot on target.

The 3 stars in a line that you say looked like a mini orions belt threw me a bit, but yes i see what you mean.

[Tom_m7117]

Hi andy,

There was no where near as much detail as that, the LP is quite bad hear but I'm not in a city center. What scope were you using and what eyepiece? Plus was this an exposure image?

[Tom_m7117]

Hi Luke,

I would say it did but without the colour, should I be seeing colour?

[Astro Imp]

Sounds about right, the 4 stars you saw were the trapezium.

For more on the trapezium have a look at this thread:- http://stargazerslou...-stars-ef-tips/ post#17 shows a sketch which you might find helpful.

[Tom_m7117]

Yep, spot on.

http://www.celestronimages.com/details.php?image_id=5042

That's more like it!! Cheers fella!

[ShellShock]

You won't usually see colour visually with DSOs. But your description matches what I saw when looking at Orion's nebula last night; like you I also noticed the 3 stars in a line, and thought it look at bit like the belt (though they are not).

[andy77]

Hi andy,

There was no where near as much detail as that, the LP is quite bad hear but I'm not in a city center. What scope were you using and what eyepiece? Plus was this an exposure image?

Hi Tom

We were using our new sw 150p-ds on a eq5 pro goto mount, it was a single exposure of 20 secs @ iso 800. Me and my daughter are both new to this & that image is out 1st attempt @ a DSO, I live not to far from Birmingham so light pollution is pretty bad here to.

Andy

[andy77]

Hi Tom

We were using our new sw 150p-ds on a eq5 pro goto mount, it was a single exposure of 20 secs @ iso 800. Me and my daughter are both new to this & that image is out 1st attempt @ a DSO, I live not to far from Birmingham so light pollution is pretty bad here to.

Andy

The eyepiece we used for visual was our new BST 8mm, amazing eyepiece with great contrast, and nice eye relief also.

Andy

[LukeSkywatcher]

Hi Luke,

I would say it did but without the colour, should I be seeing colour?

To be honest.....................NO. Most people never see colour in it. A few people say they see a hint of red or green but to most its just shades of grey. The human eye is not sensitive enough to detect colour in objects so far away. To pick up the colour etc you need to image it with a camera.

So by all accounts it seems like you did see the Orion Nebula. I think its a special object in all astronomers heart's. Orion is an old friend to many of us and we get great joy in its arrival in our skies each year.

Congrats.

[sparkyjon]

Awsome Andy hope i can get some images like that eventually.

Congrats tom on spotting it one of my first targets when i eventually get out and put this scope to use. I really do like Orion.

[rwilkey]

The eyepiece we used for visual was our new BST 8mm, amazing eyepiece with great contrast, and nice eye relief also.

Andy

Hi Andy, you need to use a low power ep, 8mm is too high except for viewing the Trapezium (only). A 25mm or a 32mm will be better for viewing large nebula like this and a number of other DSO's such as M31 for example. You will not see colour.

[EntropyStar]

Nicely done.....you can tick off your first 'Messier list' object and also when you go back to is see if you can spot M43 just above it as a faint cloud. Also just above the nebula there are a few NGC objects..1973, 1975, 1977 known as the running man nebula. You'll more than likely see just the stars though as their surrounding nebula is hard to see visually.