M42, the "Great Nebula in Orion", generally considered to be the finest 
example of a diffuse nebula in the heavens.  The discovery of the nebula 
is credited to Nicholas Peiresc in 1611.  A vast cloud of glowing gas, 
the nebula is approximately 1600 to 1900 light years distant, with a 
diameter of approximately 30 light years, 20,000 times the diameter of 
our solar system.  The bright star in the center of the nebula is Theta 
Orionis, which is actually a quadruple star, arguably the best known 
multiple star in the sky.  The four members form a trapezoid, and thus 
the star is often referred to as the "Trapezium".

The wide-field views are assembled from several smaller views digitally 
spliced together by FSU student Ben Cushwa, a member of the Frostburg 
State University CCD astronomy team.  The central image is a 200s 
exposure, while the exposure for the peripheral views is 20s.  A portion 
of the nebula NGC 1977 can be seen at top center in the wide-field 
views.  The bright star Iota Orionis is also visible at bottom center in 
the wide-field views.

Object: M42 (NGC 1976)
Coordinates: Right Ascension 05hr 32.9m, Declination -05deg 25m
Constellation: Orion
Size: 66 x 60 minutes of arc
Magnitude: 5

Telescope focal length: 500mm
Telescope aperture: 80mm
Camera: Santa Barbara Instruments ST-6
Exposure: 200s (10 @ 20s)
Observer(s): Dr. Greg Latta, digital assembly by Ben Cushwa