• Constellation: Orion
  • Right Ascension: 05h 35m 17.3s
  • Declination: −05° 23′ 28″
  • Distance: 1,300 ly

Messier 42, The Orion Nebula is one of the most iconic deep sky objects and one of the brightest nebula, it can be seen as a fuzzy star in the sword of Orion figure. Illuminated by a central cluster of stars, the four primary ones are referred to as the Trapezium, for their shape of a trapezoid. As a stellar nursery it is in the process of forming new stars as pockets of the nebula collapse under gravity.

  • Telescope: EDT 80mm Reftactor
  • Camera: ZWO A071 Color