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Orion nebula!

Sam Baker

By Sam Baker
in Getting Started With Observing

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Sam Baker

Sam Baker

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I've just spent the last 25 mins looking for the orion nebula and I've found it! Im feeling rather pleased and thats another target to tick off my list! Really I need to go out amd do some proper alignment but at the moment im happy with using my yard for the comfort of being able to run in when im getting cold! I love this hobby!!!!!

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Stu

Stu

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Im still learning all the time I've only been using a scope for 3 weeks. So what do you mean by averted vision?

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Averted vision means not looking directly at the object, but looking to one side or above/below it. This allows the more light sensitive areas of your eye to be used and you see more detail in faint objects. Takes some practice but becomes second nature after a while. Note that it is not needed on bright objects like Jupiter.

Did you spot the Trapezium in the Orion Nebula? Four little stars in a, well.... in a trapezium shape :-)

Stu

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Joves

Joves

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Congrats Sam. You've just viewed arguably the most popular object (most certainly the most popular nebula) in the observable universe! There are others that I find just as impressive (the great Eta Carina nebula, the Tarantula nebula, the Omega/Swan, the a Eagle, etc. to name a few more, however the former ones I believe only us in the south are fortunate enough to see) but M42 is one you'll certainly go back to time and time again.

I remember the first time I ever saw M42 and the feeling I had. It was astonishing. I couldn't wait to show others. What amazed me most was that I had looked at Orion's Belt a million times before, however always knew it as The Saucepan (I'm not sure if that's just what it is called down here in Australia... We're a silly bunch at times) which incorporates the dagger (which includes the nebula) as the pans handle. Little did I know, that "handle" I viewed a gazillion times before contains arguably my favorite object in the night sky. Ever since then, looking at it with even the naked eye (particularly on a clear night, I think "how the heck did I think that was just another star?" You'll see what I mean now that you know it is there!

Anyhow, to make a long post even longer, you'll be pleased to know that even now, some years later, I still feel a sense of amazement every time I view it. It's just one of those objects.

Tip: try it with different magnifications. You'd be amazed what detail can be seen by cranking things up a little. Also, if you're observing from even relatively light polluted skies, try get your hands on a UHC filter. Then you'll really see it come to life!

Congrats again. Now try for some of the others I mentioned, particularly the Swan nebula. They're all special in their own beautiful way!

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Sam Baker

Sam Baker

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Maybe I didn't find the orion nebula :( I didn't see the trapezium. However there were four main stars. 3 feintish ones in a short line and 1 perpendicular so it formed an 'L' shape with a nice clear cloud around it. I actually looked around several times to make syre what I found was a nebula rather than bad seeing and it was there everytime. The one thing is the location was somewhere near where I thpught the orion nebula should be. It was below alnitak of orions belt but not that far below relow. So have could you point me at the right object if it weren't M42 please

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Sam Baker

Sam Baker

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I have just googled a picture of the trapezium. It looks like what I saw. I definitely got the handle. Maybe I wasn't zoomed in enough to actually see the trapezium cluster. I'll hopefully be giving it a go on christmas day night if the weather is clear and I'll take a picture and post it for people to identify it for me. Thanks alot guys you're all a wonderful bunch that always give me a world of information that ends up spirallung in my head and leaving me wanting more from my next night sky session!

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Stu

Stu

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This is the Trapezium......

What level of magnification were you using? You should be able to split them fairly easily with enough power. Can't think off hand how much mag is needed, but probably only 30 or 40 times.

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Cheers,

Stu

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ronl

ronl

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Don't know what scope you were using or at what mag, I was 

out last night with my grab and go 90mm Evo frac used a 12mm

BST starguider and the view was wonderful, the Trapezium 

was so vivid, maybe the seeing was not as good as here in

the Northwest.

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Sam Baker

Sam Baker

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I were using my 127 eq with 32mm ,17 mm and 13mm EPs. Maybe I wasn't focused in enough. I definitely had the 3 stars in a line and what looked like a huge star where the trapezium is so I guess I could have adjusted focus a tad. I just struggle sometimes as my mount isn't very sturdy and shakes at the slightest touch

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Stu

Stu

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I were using my 127 eq with 32mm ,17 mm and 13mm EPs. Maybe I wasn't focused in enough. I definitely had the 3 stars in a line and what looked like a huge star where the trapezium is so I guess I could have adjusted focus a tad. I just struggle sometimes as my mount isn't very sturdy and shakes at the slightest touch

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Definitely sounds like you got it, just need to get the focus sorted and you should see the Trapezium stars. Looks fabulous.

Stu

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Joves

Joves

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I'm sure you would have had it, Sam. The Trapezium is quite easy to see if you look out for it, but not difficult to overlook if your focus is even the slightest bit off. If you saw a large 'bat shaped' cloud, then you were most certainly looking at M42.

Next time you take a look, try panning around the general area. The star fields in this part of the sky are awesome!

Have you looked for the Pleiades yet? They're not too far away from Orion. Another awesome object at low power!

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Sam Baker

Sam Baker

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It's amazing what you can actually see through a scope when you just casually look around the stars that appear that you have never seen before in your life, it makes you wonder what you've missed out on all your life and leaves you wanting more. I think I'm addicted

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Markstar

Markstar

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I've also recently discovered The Orion Nebula...awesome!!!!!!! I have the same scope as you, Sam. I found it looked best using my 25mm and 15mm BST Explorers (ie x40 and x66 respectively...). U can still see the whole 'sword' at these lower powers...i went in closer at x125 to view just the hazy patch. I want to check out Plaiedes and M81 next. I've so far been unable to get the Plaides in my scope tho...will persevere. Looking forward to Jupiter at opposition too...!

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Astro Imp

Astro Imp

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apparently clear skies tonight and i've got my camera attached to my scope amd ready for orion to look me in the eye. the excitement is overwhelming! merry xmas guys!

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Good luck, don't forget to report back.

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