Orion

[estwing]

Just had a quick look at M42 with 10x50 bins ,my first look this season....if you haven't view this from a truly dark sky area...make the effort this season you know it makes sense

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

Ditto this morning with The Helios Apollo 15x70,Hand held for short periods,as I couldn't be bothered to take my Monopod (how lazy is that?)

 However,in my defence,I was sat in a deckchair,and I use Steve Tonkin's preferred method of holding the Bins, where your arms act like an 'A frame' for added steadiness.

  I don't think that any of us tire of looking at M42-it's awesome to consider that we are seeing a Stellar Nursery,lit by the 'Trapezium'.

 I also let my eyes wander around the 'Belt' area- I love that 'S' shape of stars in the middle.

  Also looked at Betelgeuse,and compared it's colour to Mars,and looked at Orion's 'Head' region around the star 'Meissa'.

  Like probably most folk here,I learned to recognise Orion and learnt the names of it's main stars at the very start of my interest in the night sky,when I was about ten years old.

[hgjevans]

I guess Orion must be fairly high up on most people's favourite constellations list - it's such a delight when it comes around again each year. I had a similar scan around it last weekend to round off a fabulous night's viewing. I'll be taking my 15x70s to Cumbria in a couple of weeks in the hope of the odd clear night.