Orion Nebula, M43 and NGC 1977

Full view for maximum effect

The Orion Nebula (M42), de Mairan's Nebula (M43), and The Running Man Nebula (NGC 1977)

I thought I'd share the image with you to show the potential of this magnificent new 5" refractor. This is only 30 minutes of data. I hope to build upon it when this region is culminating later in the year.

For 30 minutes of exposure, I think I've done well to tame any noise. Yes, I can see the satellite trails -- I didn't have enough data to perform a proper/aggressive data rejection stack and couldn't be bothered with cloning it out. This is a test image. Not up to my usual standards, I know -- I'm a perfectionist. Couldn't help but share this.

Look forward to a spectacular rendition later in the year.

I have a long while to go before I exhaust a DSLR imaging device.

I will spare the detailed write-up for this composition until I have something worthy of presenting. However, I will list the notable objects here.

The Orion Nebula (M42);
de Mairan's Nebula (M43) -- the little circular shaped object towards the bottom left of the main nebula;
The Running Man Nebula (NGC 1977) -- the cluster towards the left enshrined in blue and red nebulosity

This composite consists of one set of images; one set of 6 images taken at ISO-400.
Each individual image was a 300 second exposure.
IRIS was used to calibrate each image (dark subtraction [median combined master dark] and flat field division [median combined master flat {lights and darks}]), to register, align, stack, white balance, and stretch.
Photoshop CS3 was used to adjust levels, curves, saturation, colour balance, local contrast, sharpen, miscellaneous editing, frame and resize the final composite.

Target: The Orion Nebula (M42), de Mairan's Nebula (M43), and The Running Man Nebula (NGC 1977)
Date: Sunday, September 20th, 2009
Time: First image: 03:16 AM
Time: Last image: 03:42 AM
Location: Cootamundra, NSW, Australia
Camera: Canon EOS-40D (modified: Baader UV/IR filter)
Telescope: ED127 triplet APO refractor f/7.5
Focal length: 952mm
Mount: Losmandy G-11 (Gemini)
Guiding: Meade DSI-C through William Optics ZenithStar FD80 f/6.9
Exposure: 6 x 300 seconds (30 minutes) @ ISO-400 (RAW)
Software: Canon EOS Utility: capture and framing; PHD Guiding: autoguiding; IRIS: calibration, registration, stacking, stretching; Adobe Photoshop CS3: post-processing and framing