Messier 42

42 final

Object:   M42 (NGC1976) Date:               2019 January 28
Type:  Bright nebula
Constellation:           Orion Time & altitude:          23.00 UT   28º
Catalogue data: Seeing (5 high):                      1 or 2/5
            R.A:                5h 35m Transparency (5 high):                   5/5
            Dec:                -5º 27 Telescope:     0.5m f4.1  Dob.
            Magnitude     4 Eyepiece       5mm Vixen LV          x415
            Size (mins)    66×60 Filters:            None

Notes:

The intricate detail on show means that drawing the whole nebula would take forever. The two ‘batwings’ fill the 50 arcmin field of the 17mm Ethos with braided structure and streamers. The drawing here is confined to the Huygens Region, as seen in the restricted field of the 5mm eyepiece. Even this drawing is very ‘broad brush’, roughly indicating major features only. Probably due to the poor seeing only the four main Trapezium stars A to D were seen. I searched for E & F, both 11th magnitude, without success. The nebula has an obvious greenish hue.