Instrument

Takahashi FSQ-106ED @ f/5.0 (530 mm F.L.)  Captured at 3.5 arcsec/pixel.  Shown resampled to 11.9 arcsec/pixel.

Mount

Paramount ME

Camera

SBIG STL-11000 w/ internal filter wheel, AstroDon Filters

Acquisition Data

1/11/2009 to 1/28/2009 Chino Valley... with CCDAutoPilot3

Exposure

SII:Ha:OIII    45 min. (15 x 1 min. each filter, bin 1x1)
SII:Ha:OIII  225 min. (15 x 5 min.  each filter, bin 1x1)
SII:Ha:OIII  675 min. (15 x 15 min. each filter, bin 1x1)

SII,Ha & OIII are mapped to RGB respectivly.  An RGB overlay was added for the star colors.

Click here for the natural colored image.
Click here for the B & W  Ha filtered image.

Software

CCDSoft, CCDStack, Photoshop CS w/ the Fits Liberator plugin and Noel Carboni's actions.

CCDStack to calibrate, register, normalize, data reject & combine sub exposures.

PhotoShop for non-linear stretching and color combine.

Comment

North is to the top.

This image was created using the Hubble color palette. The colors  follow the spirit of the palette and the hydrogen (green), sulfur (red) and oxygen (blue) areas can easy be identified.

The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated south of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye. M42 is located at a distance of 1,270±76 light years and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across.

Source: Wikipedia