Messier Objects - M42

This blog entry is more of a log book entry this evening.  The Explore the Universe Certificate contains M42 - The Orion Nebula which is a Messier Object.  This is a log of M42 on the Messier log sheets for the Messier Certificate.

A lot of visual astronomy comes down to log book entries if you wish to keep track of your observations.  It is useful to sketch objects you see in the eyepiece as it trains your eye to be keen to details that a casual observer may miss.  I have a set of pencils (HB, H, B, 2B, 4B, 8B) that I use to make sketches.  I am not very good but I hope to improve.  There are members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada at our centre that have amazing sketches; I hope to learn from them.  The nebulosity associated with sketches is created by using blending stumps -- tightly rolled up paper tubes the diameter of a pencil.  I scribble a mark on a separate sheet of paper with my 8B pencil and rub the blending stump in it and then apply it to the sketch.  I am still having trouble with my cardinal directions on the sketches since telescopes mirror and/or flip the image around depending on the type of scope used.  I think my best bet is to draw the image and then refer to a star atlas to get my directions straight.  I'll keep trying at the scope though, I shouldn't give up too easily.

Below is the Messier log book entry for the Orion Nebula, also known as M42.

M42 - Orion Nebula Observation Record

This weekend I am hoping to take a long exposure image of the nebula using an OIII filter.  Also, at some point I hope to learn the skill of stacking images together to bring out the best in astrophotographs.  The sky is cloudy this evening so there is not much to look at but I hope to map out Gemini sometime this week.  Keep warm and make sure you have enough wiper washer fluid!