M42 - The Orion Nebula

17:32 7/3/2010 UTC

Long time no see - stars! It's been like four months since I've done imaging. Weather has been very effectively blocking all opportunities to do some astro work. So I don't have to mention I was completely lost with my gear this time. Success rate was 50% due to stumbling with new filter wheel, motor focuser, stiff cables and occasional trees blocking the view. This is a superquick processing of the small amount of good data.

NGC/IC Object List:
NGC1976 gaseous nebula RA:05h35m17.1 Dec:-05°23m'25" BMag: 4.0, M 42 Orion Nebula

Camera: Atik Instruments 4000LE | Telescope: Skywatcher ED80 Pro 80mm f7.5 refractor, William Optics 0.8x focal reducer | Mount: Vixen GP-D2, Boxdoerfer PowerFlex MTS-3SLP drive controller | Filters: Baader H-alpha 7nm 2", Baader OIII 8.5nm 2" | Guiding: The Imaging Source DMK 21AU04.AS CCD camera, Orion ShortTube 80mm f5 refractor, Stark-Labs PHD Guiding | Exposure: Ha 3x600s (30m) unbinned, CCD @ -20° f6, OIII 4x600s (40m) unbinned, CCD @ -20° f6 | Software: CCDWare CCDStack, Adobe Photoshop CS4, Stark-Labs Nebulosity 2 | Location: 60°31'N 26°52'E (Koivula/Kotka,FI) | Image Field: 1.797 x 1.8 degrees | Image Center: Ra 05h35m17s Dec -05°21'44" | Target altitude in the beginning of the exposure 24°