​Also known as Messier 42 (M42), the Orion Nebula spans about 24 light-years across and is part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. The nebula is situated in the Milky Way some 1,350 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Orion, the hunter, and it can be seen with the naked eye south of Orion's belt. 

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The brightest central part of the nebula is called the "Huygenian region" (named after the 17th-century astronomer Christiaan Huygens). To its left is a dark nebulosity nicknamed the "Fish's Mouth," which separates M43 — another smaller nebula adjacent to M42 on the left side of this image — from the brighter region of M42. Along the outside edges of the cloud formation, we can also find the so-called "wings" of Orion. Shining at the heart of the Orion Nebula is the Trapezium star cluster, named after the four bright stars it contains. 

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The Orion Nebula gets its reddish hue from hydrogen gas, which is energized by radiation from newborn stars. While the red areas are emitting light, the blue-violet regions in the nebula are reflecting radiation from hot, blue-white O-type stars.

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On the left of this image lies the Running Man Nebula (NGC 1977) vaguely resembles a colorful space ghost sprinting through the stars in the Orion constellation. 

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This image was taken under light polluted skies of Singapore.

Individual channels were collected via dedicated astronomical camera and combined with special software to form a complete "true colour" RGB image.

 

Red: Hydrogen Alpha

Green: Oxygen III

Blue: Oxygen III

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Total Imaging Time: 7 hours over 8 nights

Camera: QHYCCD 183 (Mono)

Lens/Scope: William Optics Zenithstar 61

Mount: Explore Scientific iEXOS-100

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*This image appeared in The Amateur Astrophotography Magazine's Image Of The Day

(08/01/2020)

 

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