M42, The Great Orion Nebula, is the first target for many astrophotographers. Easily located in the constellation Orion, it can be found with the naked eye. With a camera and a few seconds of exposure you can begin to see some of the surrounding nebulosity. Using a DSLR on a tripod, it was the first object, other than the moon, that I captured.
My first image was taken with a Canon DSLR using a 500mm lens. Looking up at the constellation Orion, I pointed the camera at Orion’s sword and took a 10 second exposure. The result is below. It was not a spectacular image, but seeing the Nebula with some color is what got me started in this hobby. M42 is still one of my favorite targets to photograph.
My latest M42 image was taken over a couple weeks in December. I used color filters to capture the Red, Green, and Blue of the Nebula. I also used narrowband filters to capture additional details and the detail surrounding the nebula. I would have liked some additional detail near the Nebula’s core, but clouds are forecast for the near future. I decided to go ahead and process the data I was able to acquire.
The final image is composed of approximately 1000 files, totaling just under 14 hours of imaging time. I was hoping to get additional SII and OIII data but ran out of time before the clouds rolled in. I may try to get some additional time on this target later in the season to add to the image. M42, the Great Orion Nebula.
- L: 2.1 hours
- R: 2.5hours
- G: 2.3 hours
- SII: 0.8 hours
- Ha: 3 hours
- OIII: 0.8 hours
