Instrument

Takahashi FSQ-106ED @ f/5.0 (530 mm F.L.)  Captured at 3.5 arcsec/pixel.  Shown resampled to 16.8 arcsec/pixel.

Mount

Paramount ME

Camera

SBIG STL-11000 w/ internal filter wheel, AstroDon Filters

Acquisition Data

2/1/2009 & 2/2/2009 Chino Valley... with CCDAutoPilot3

Exposure

RGB    11.25 min. (15 x 15 sec. each filter, bin 1x1)
RGB    45     min. (15 x  1 min.  each filter, bin 1x1)
RGB  225     min. (15 x  5 min. each filter, bin 1x1)

Click here for the narrow band color mapped image.
Click here for the B & W  Ha filtered image.

Software

CCDSoft, CCDStack, Photoshop CS w/ the Fits Liberator plugin and Noel Carboni's actions.

CCDStack to calibrate, register, normalize, data reject & combine sub exposures.

PhotoShop for non-linear stretching and color combine.

Comment

North is to the top.

The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated south of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye. M42 is located at a distance of 1,270±76 light years and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across.

Source: Wikipedia