Orion Nebula (Messier 42)
This nebula is pretty close in astronomical terms, at 1,344 light years away. It is so bright, you can see it with the naked eye. But it does present its own challenges for the astrophotographer because the white core is very bright and outer areas comparatively much fainter. So it needs careful balancing, perhaps by taking separate exposure lengths for its different parts and combining them. It has a distinctive pink colour which is worth preserving.
Total exposure: 8hrs 33mins
Red 16x18 Green 13 x 180 Blue 13 x 180 Ha 87 x 180 SII 42 x 180
Easy Pickings
M42 is a great place to start if you want to take an image of a nebula. At magnitude 4, it is relatively easy to capture.
To find it, look towards Orion’s scabbard. My first picture on the left shows what you see with your naked eye. The second shows what you don’t see - a huge red hydrogen-rich area known as Barnard’s Loop. Within this, the Orion nebula is identified by the arrow.
