Orion Nebula Deep Sky Session
Stunning captures of the Orion Nebula (M42) and surrounding region from our December astrophotography workshop. Multiple exposures stacked for incredible detail.
Photos
Wide field showing Orion's Belt and the nebula below
30-minute stacked exposure of M42's core region
The iconic Horsehead Nebula in Orion's Belt
NGC 1977 - The Running Man Nebula north of M42
The Flame Nebula glowing near the star Alnitak
Our imaging setup for the night - 8" Newtonian with tracking mount
Orion Nebula Deep Sky Session
Our December astrophotography workshop was blessed with perfect conditions—clear skies, no moon, and temperatures just cold enough to keep the seeing steady.
The Target
The Orion Nebula (M42) is one of the most photographed objects in the night sky, and for good reason. At roughly 1,344 light-years away, it’s one of the closest stellar nurseries to Earth, making it bright enough to see with the naked eye under dark skies.
Equipment Used
- Telescope: 8” f/4 Newtonian Reflector
- Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
- Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro (cooled to -10°C)
- Guiding: 50mm guide scope with ASI120MM Mini
- Filters: Optolong L-Pro light pollution filter
Imaging Details
Each final image is a stack of multiple exposures:
- M42 Core: 60x 30-second subs + 30x 2-minute subs (HDR blend)
- Horsehead Region: 45x 3-minute subs
- Wide Field: 100x 1-minute subs
Processing
All images were processed using:
- DeepSkyStacker for calibration and stacking
- PixInsight for initial stretching and noise reduction
- Photoshop for final color adjustments
Join Our Next Session
We host astrophotography sessions monthly. Check our events page for the next opportunity to capture the cosmos!