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If the "facts" don't match the experience of several veteran observers, maybe it's time to question the conclusions of the studies....

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Well, yes and no. The studies under the conditions they produced are probably at least grossly valid. The problem again is two-fold, in that not everyone has the same sensitivity to red, and the intensities, wavelengths, and bandwidths which the studies were preformed at are probably not quite the same as those at least some of us see with our eyes when observing M42. However, the fact that Don did use an H-alpha filter and still saw red in M42 does indicate that he is seeing mainly the contribution of the H-alpha line. The "two-filter" Oxygen III example I gave also lends credence to those who report red in M42. Now what is normally reported by amateurs visually in the nebula is usually not very red, as what reds are seen are fairly subtle and many people may not see the reds at all. However, with enough aperture and eyes with better than average dim red sensitivity, visibility of at least some reddish coloration is definitely possible in the Orion Nebula and should not be dismissed out of hand just because of one overly-rigid interpretation of a laboratory experiment. Clear skies to you.

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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info

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