Orion Nebula
RA 5h 35m · Dec -5° 30′
5′

The nearest large star-forming region and arguably the most-imaged object in the sky. The Trapezium cluster at its core ionises thousands of solar masses of gas and dust. Extreme dynamic range makes it a technical challenge — HDR or masked composites required to render both the blazing core and the delicate outer wisps in a single image.

Emission nebula

Orion Nebula

M 42 · Orion
These photons are ~1,344 years old
LPBroadband light-pollution filter. Suppresses the sodium and mercury glow of streetlights while passing the main nebula emission lines and natural star colours.ZWO Seestar S50ZWO Seestar S50Aperture 50mm · Focal length 250mm · f/5 · Apo triplet with ED element · Sony IMX462 colour CMOS sensor (1920 x 1080, 2.1MP)…View equipment →
⧉ 14 versions of this capture — pick one to see its image and log
↻ Revisited — built over 2 nights, three years later
  1. 1 23/01/2023 50×120″ 1h 40′ Astronomik H-alpha 6nm Clip-Filter EOS APS-C, Canon EOS 1100D, ZWO AM5 Harmonic Drive, William Optics ZenithStar 71 ED
  2. 2 03/01/2026 1m (8 × 10s) + 66m (384 x 10s + 6 x 20s) + 64m (384 x 10s) + 2m (6 x 20s) ZWO Seestar S50 Camera, ZWO Seestar S50
23/01/2023 03/01/2026 Three years later
Date
03/01/2026
Location
53.5481° N, 1.4616° W
Integration
1m (8 × 10s)
Software
ZWO Seestar app
Notes
·
Total effort
9h 49m over 2 nights
Moon
🌕Full Moon, 100% lit
Plate solve
Centre RA
05h 35m 08s
Centre Dec
−5° 30′ 04″
Field
42.8′ × 1.27°
Pixel scale
2.38″/px
Orientation
-174.6° E of N
Hemisphere
Southern
Also in this frame
M42M43NGC 1980

Catalogued objects inside the plate-solved field, nearest the centre first. Highlighted names have their own photo here.

TelescopeZWO Seestar S50
CameraZWO Seestar S50 Camera
RigFamily Holiday Rig

Where to find it

Finder chart
-5°30′5h34m5h35m5h35m5h36mNE42.8′ x 1.3′5′

Star field and catalogued objects inside the plate-solved field, oriented to the solve. Fully offline, from the bundled star and deep-sky catalogues.

Interactive sky chart centred on 05 35 08 -5 30 04. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, click a star or object to identify it. Zoom in to the plate-solved field for the DSS survey photo; zoom out for constellation figures and neighbouring catalogue objects. Fully self-hosted: the star and deep-sky catalogues and the survey image are all served from this site, so nothing external loads. Imagery: DSS2 colour (STScI / POSS-II). Constellation figures © Dominic Ford (GPLv3).

Captured from · Barnsley, UK
53.5481° N, 1.4616° W · view on OpenStreetMap ↗ · Place data © GeoNames (CC BY)

Frequently asked questions

What kind of object is M 42?
M 42 is an emission nebula.
Which constellation is M 42 in?
M 42 lies in the constellation Orion.
How far away is M 42?
The light in this image left M 42 roughly ~1,344 years ago, so that is how far back in time you are seeing it.
What are the coordinates of M 42?
M 42 sits at right ascension 05h 35m 08s and declination −5° 30′ 04″ (J2000).
When is the best time to photograph M 42?
M 42 rides highest in the evening sky around December, reaching about 31° above the horizon from around 54°N.
What else is in this frame?
The plate-solved field also contains M43 and NGC 1980.
What equipment was used to photograph M 42?
This image of M 42 was captured with ZWO Seestar S50 Camera, ZWO Seestar S50, Astronomik H-alpha 6nm Clip-Filter EOS APS-C, Canon EOS 1100D, ZWO AM5 Harmonic Drive, and William Optics ZenithStar 71 ED.
How much exposure time went into this image?
This image of M 42 represents 1m (8 × 10s) + 66m (384 x 10s + 6 x 20s) + 64m (384 x 10s) + 2m (6 x 20s) + 50×120″ 1h 40′ of total integration time.

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