First look at Orion's Great Nebula

[BWBlackett]

I 'ticked off' my 23rd Messier last night with my first look at M42 in Orion. It's been hidden behind houses for the last few weeks, but I managed a quick hour when the clouds parted last night.

I started with my 2" 30mm and could just about make out 4 stars in the Trapezium and some faint nebulosity, then switched to the 1.25" 10mm and finally added the 2x Barlow. I wasn't expecting to see as much nebulosity and at first though it was cloud, but after checking again with my naked eye there was no clouds to be seen! The trapezium was easily split into 4 distinct stars and the nebulosity filled most of the fov. Just to the upper right were 3 stars in a line and there seemed to be another couple above forming a triangle not dissimilar to that around Alderbaron in Taurus.

I then spend a few minutes looking at Mars but could only make out a bright white disc, no sign of any surface features.

Overall a great hour, but it was freezing and the wife was not happy when I nicked her hot water bottle as I climbed into bed just after midnight.

[thing]

Hi, I had my first look a couple of weeks ago. Through my 8" the nebulosity looks a sort of bluey grey, what colour is it through the 10 inch? It's quite something seeing in real life what I've been looking at in books for years.

[BWBlackett]

Yes, it's bluey grey through the 10".

[barkis]

You will get some wonderful views from that fast 10" scope BWB.

As long as you get the seeing conditions, nebula, both diffuse and planetary should be quite bright. The double cluster shoud be breathtaking in that telescope.

Ron.

[algol]

sounds ace, can't wait to get my first view, got to say it is one of my faves already even through handheld binos

[Astronut]

The colour impression I get with my 12" dob is mainly green and I can only make out the main wings fanning out from the trapezium. Rather disappointingly, I remember the view of M42 through my old Fullerscopes 8".75 reflector (over 20 years ago) were rather better with more colour (blues, turqouise, greens and pinky reds) but time could be playing tricks with my memory or my eyesight could be worse. It's probably both.

I'd really like to see it properly from a darker site though because the LP from my backyard is pretty bad from South to West - the direction of the town centre. I'm hoping my soon to arrive Astronomik UHC filter will improve things but I've read these filters really come into their own from a dark site.