The Great Orion Nebula + Giacomo Pro + L-QEF (L-Quad Enhance Filter)
The Great Orion Nebula + Giacomo Pro + L-QEF (L-Quad Enhance Filter)
Credit: Giacomo Pro (Italy)
The Great Orion Nebula, also known as M 42 or NGC 1976 is one of the brightest diffuse nebulae in the night sky. Clearly recognisable to the naked eye as a non-stellar object, it is located south of the famous Orion Belt asterism, in the centre of the so-called Sword of Orion, in the constellation of the same name.
Located at a distance of about 1,500 light years from Earth, it extends about 24 light years and is the closest star-forming region to the Solar System. It is one of the most photographed and studied objects in the celestial vault, and is under constant scrutiny due to the celestial phenomena taking place within it; astronomers have discovered protoplanetary disks, brown dwarfs and intense gas and dust movements in its innermost regions.
The Orion Nebula contains within it a very young open cluster known as the Trapezium.
The nebula was recognised as such in 1610 by a French lawyer, Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (1580-1637), although, given its size and luminosity, it was certainly known even in prehistoric times. Ptolemy identified it as a star of Orion's sword, of magnitude 3.
The Orion Nebula is an object in the southern hemisphere, but it is so close to the celestial equator that it is visible to everyone on Earth.
The nebula is clearly visible during the months of November to March and can be easily identified thanks to the famous sequence of three stars known as Orion's Belt: to the south of this asterism one can see a group of stars arranged in a north-south direction (the Sword of Orion), whose central 'star' is actually the Orion Nebula. With small binoculars it has a distinctly nebulous appearance; a more powerful instrument is sufficient to detect a group of small blue stars within it, four of which are arranged in a trapezoid.
Light 120 x 300" - 100 x 60" - 105 x 5" filter: Optolong Astronomy Filter L-QEF
Camera: ZWO Astrophotography Asi 294 mc pro
Telescope: Sky-Watcher Quattro 200P + SW Coma corrector 1X
Guide camera: Asi 120 mini
Guide scope: 60 - 320 mm
Mount: Skywatcher Eq 6-r Pro
Acquisition: Asiair Plus
Software: DSS - Pixinsight - Photoshop
Shots: 17/12/2023 - 13/01/2024 Manduria (TA) ITALY
SQM: 20,40
Author: PRO' GIACOMO.
