The Beauty of Orion

The Orion Nebula (M42) has inspired more adjectives than any other deep-sky object. None, however, do real justice to this great mass of swirling, pale green, chaotic gas. Even “overpowering” is a most inadequate word when the nebula is seen in a really dark sky. Intertwined with the Sword on the Hunter’s Belt, M42 requires no charts or setting circles (see the photograph on the previous page). There’s no need for a finder, either, since you can simply sight along the edge of the telescope tube to bring the nebula into view. (For more on the Orion Nebula see the article "A Pair of Nice Nebulae.")

The Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) is one of the most photographed but least observed objects in the sky. It’s incredibly challenging for visual observers. The blob of darkness lies halfway along the streamer of faint nebulosity that runs for 1° south from Zeta (ζ) Orionis, the easternmost belt star.The streamer IC434) is a bit brighter than the Veil Nebula in Cygnus, and no great feat to see.

But recognizing the dark blotch B33 is another matter. Scattered light from 2nd-magnitude Zeta foils many attempts to find the Horsehead, since the two are separated by only ½°. Another reason that many searches fail is that observers are looking for the wrong-sized object. When I have seen it with telescopes between 10 and 16 inches in aperture, my first reaction has always been how tiny it is! Knowing just where to look for it is half the battle. The Horsehead is only 5' across. Amateurs accustomed to seeing it on large-scale photographs end up looking for an object that is much too big.