Current Info for Observer
as of 04/19/2024 5:30 a.m.
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General Info
| Type | Diffuse Nebula |
| Constellation | Orion |
| Right ascension | 5h35'17.200'' |
| Declination | -5°27'27'' |
| Magnitude | 4 |
| Distance | 1,600ly |
| Size | 85 arc min |
| Catalog Designations | NGC1976, M42 |
| Discovered | 1610 Nicolas Peiresc |
Generate a finder chart
The following form will generate a PDF finder chart suitable for printing using to locate objects in the sky with your telescope!
The Date is only really useful for solar system objects, as deep space objects move measurably only on a galactic timescale.
The larger the F.O.V (field of view), the more "zoomed out" the object will appear. It can be helpful to print several charts of the same object with different field of views.
Limiting the magnitude (remember, lower magnitude means brighter!) of stars and objects can make sure your chart is not cluttered with dim objects that you may not be visible to you anyway. The defaults are good, but try experimenting with raising and lowering the values.
mnastro (4583)
7x50 Binos
30 points
Couldn't pass up a quick peek at M42 with the 7x50's while enjoying the planets this morning. Nebula was visible in the binos with the bright central stars gleaming away.
HamilTiller (5560)
Celestron 127eq
30 points
My last goal of the evening, the Great Orion Nebula was actually the very fist DSO I viewed through my telescope, late last winter, before I discovered this site. It blew mind, and still does. Slightly greenish in color and the Trapezium is clearly visible.
sweston (80)
Astromaster 130eq
30 points
the view isn't spectacular through a 5" reflector but it is still amazing being able to see what the naked eye cannot. moon was really bright but low on the horizon yet.
colin.foster (580)
Orion XT8
30 points
thomas (855)
Orion Sky View Pro 8" EQ
30 points
I traveled up to the Angeles National Forest to get to some darker skies. The only DSO that I found that night was M42. At first I wasn't even sure what I was looking at was even the nebula but as I increased the magnification it was clear this was it.
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