
Beyond M42
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Beyond M42
As we spend so much time studying Orion over the Winter, it
will do no harm at all to mention a few of the other objects that are visible
apart from M42, the Great Orion Nebula.
Seeing as M42 is the highlight of Orion, lets start there and turn our
binoculars on the Sword of Orion. The whole sword of Orion is rich in Nebulae
and clusters. Running from the
South up we have NGC 1980 a small cluster and nebulosity, M42 and the
trapezium, are above that. M43 is
between M42 and The Running man Nebula, NGC1977. Finally, north of NGC1977 we reach NGC1981. Lets start with M43 which is just northeast from the great
Orion Nebula, M42, and in reality forms part of the same complex. In the heart of M43 lies a bright star
which goes by the name of HD 37061 and is easy to spot at mag 6.75. M43 surrounds this star. Look for the
famous fish mouth separating M42 and M43.
The fish mouth appears as a dark lane dissecting the bright nebulosity.
M43 is visible in all instruments from 10X50's upwards but
in a larger scope it is much easier to see and particularly striking in the
scope is the way the nebulosity seemed to stop suddenly on the eastern
side. Moving to the far side of
M42, there is a very sparse open cluster which is surrounded by nebulosity
NGC1980. The most striking thing
about this is the haziness around the bright star Iota Orionis. Again the nebulosity is visible in all
instruments from 10X50's upwards.
Also within NGC 1980 is a nice wide double or optical double with
contrasting colours. The colours are similar to Albireo and were better seen
with the 10X50's than in any larger instrument.
Moving north from NGC1980 and back up past M42/43 we come to
NGC 1977, "The Running Man Nebula" and open cluster Again a hint of nebulosity is seen around the brightest star
in binoculars but it is in a telescope that the most detail can be seen. The nebulosity is easily seen under low
powers but when the power is pushed up, the dark lanes between the stars are
visible. However, despite the fact
that it was easy to differentiate between dark and brighter areas, the
distinctive running man was not seen.
This is a nebula that can well cope with high powers on nights of good
seeing. Another nebula worth
tracking down is "The Flame Nebula" or NGC 2024. This is found less than a degree to the NE of Zeta Orionis which is the left hand
star of the belt of Orion. It lies between Zeta Orionis and a sixth magnitude
star (HR1970). This nebula is
visible in low powers against a brighter background. I could not see this in the 20X80's but it was visible in
the 8". At first it was hard to
spot but then, once spotted, it was hard to miss. I was not the only observer to notice this , I have seen it
happen a couple of times. If you
don't see it at first, recheck your star chart and make sure you are looking in
the right area. You will be
rewarded. Again the dark against
lighter was easily seen, but I seem to remember that this nebula was much more
striking when I observed it last year. I guess this is one nebula that is really
at its best under excellent conditions.
The background nebulosity is quite extensive and is about the size of a
full moon.
Before looking at more nebulae, why not check out a nice
multiple star system Sigma Orionis.
This is located about a degree southwest of Zeta Orionis and is visible
to the naked eye. Turn a pair of
binoculars on it and you will see that it is made up of a few components. Right alongside Sigma Orionis is
another lovely multiple called Struve 761, which itself splits into three stars
making up a tight isosceles triangle.
Sigma itself split into four components and on the far side of Sigma
from Struve761 lies a single star which adds to the view. I am not crazy about double or multiple
stars but this one is definitely worth a look.
Now back to nebulae and a double nebula which can be found
about two degrees to the north and slightly east of Zeta Orionis. These nebulae
are M78 and NGC 2071. Both are
easily visible in larger binoculars and are easy in a scope. M78 is more condensed and a pair of
stars can be seen in NGC2071. The
whole area of Orion is surrounded by nebulosity and here and there brighter
patches are easily seen.
If you have had enough of nebulae then Orion also is home to
a lot of star clusters. Back to
the sword and at the very top of the sword is a small zig zaggy cluster known
as NGC 1981, also known as Orion's crown.
This small open cluster is loose and sparse and to be honest does not do
much for me. Now, a cluster that
is truly spectacular, is the stars which make up Orion's belt. The three brighter stars are the centre
pieces of a wide cluster sprinkled with hot blue/white stars. This cluster fills the field of view in
my 20X80's and is one of my favourite sights. It is a must see and is best seen in binoculars. When you
are looking at this cluster, keep an eye out for the arcs and lines of stars
that are readily visible in and around the two most westerly of the belt stars.
Another loose open cluster can be found in Orion's head,
around the bright star Lambda Orionis.
Again this wont knock your socks off but is worth a look all the same.
From Orion's body and head we move to his club and look for
open clusters NGC2169 and NGC2194.
NGC2169 is found on the apex of a triangle pointing SW with XI and Nu Orionis. In binoculars and telescopes it appears
to contain a few stars, Leading off to the east of this cluster is a line of
stars. When you reach the last
star drop down about a degree to find a patch of nebulosity called NGC
2194. This is in fact an open
cluster but appears as a hazy patch in binoculars. Why not turn a scope on it and see if the nebulosity
resolves into stars.
In the area at the top of Orion's club can be found NGC
2174/2175. This appears to be a
region of extended haze around a faint star. When I was observing this, conditions were rubbish and it
definitely deserves a closer look.
Lastly we move to Orion's shield and find NGC1662 , which is
a lovely cluster, it is sparse but pretty, it has a condensed core with an
asterism like Corona Borealis, and has some nice colours which are particularly
striking in the scope. For me this cluster was a hidden gem and I will
definitely be coming back for more.
Despite the fact that this piece
was called beyond M42, I am afraid I have to touch on it. On the night of
24th Nov, A
few KAC members held an impromptu observing session. The seeing and transparency
were good but there was a heck of a breeze which made it all but impossible
to do any serious observing. However, towards the end of the night I
did for the first time get to see a hint of colour in M42. I thought this
was wishful thinking but got Michael Scully to confirm it.
We observed a ruddy, pinky, browny colour on what I think was the
Northwestern edge of the nebula.
Just a pity there was such a horrible wind present. It just goes to show
you that you never know what you are going to find in the sky.
I hope you get some time over
the next few months to spend with Orion and have a chance to explore more than
M42. Also keep an eye out for
other deep sky stuff in Orion.
There is more to see than I have covered here.
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