For us, it is one of the most beloved constellations in the stellar heavens. And rightly so, as it is home to some amazing deep sky objects (
I am posting this particular edition for two months because Orion will be front and center during both January and February, and also giving you all some time to work on the numerous objects that I will share with you for your pursuit. Whether you are purely a visual observer, a sketching enthusiast and/or an imaging aficionado, there should be plenty of interest for you here.
While everyone pursues the
For some if not many, I am sure that you have pursued some of the below objects previously. But hopefully I will provide at least a few new ones to add to your observing/imaging plans for a good number of you. I of course have not listed an exhaustive number of
Just north of the Orion Nebula is this three piece nebula structure, collectively known as the “Running Man.” Personally I think it takes a bit more imagination than I have to see that figure in it. However, it does have a curious appearance, particularly from darker locations. There are a few brighter stars embedded in this complex, particularly 42 Orionis (mag 4.6) and 45 Orionis (mag 5.2). Take a look at this interesting nebula structure and see if you can pick up hints of someone running through your field of view!
Just northeast of the eastern most star in Orion’s belt, mag 1.8 Zeta Orionis (Alnitak), look for this elusive object, famously known as the Flame Nebula. Visually this is a challenging object for those under light polluted skies. While it is not so difficult from darker locations, its diaphanous structure will not knock you over as does M42/43. Use of a narrowband nebula filter will definitely boost contrast of this object, as will an O-III filter, though a little less so. A key detail to look for is a dark lane separating two main portions of the nebula’s glow.
Located just south of Alnitak and the Flame Nebula is the famous dark nebula, the Horsehead Nebula. The object
The so-called Monkey Head Nebula is a nebula plus open cluster (Collinder 84).
You can seek this nice object about 7° southwest of brilliant Mintaka, the westernmost star in Orion’s belt, near the border with Eridanus not quite 2° north of mag 2.8 Beta Eridani (Cursa). This reflection nebula is moderately bright, and as is typical of this type of nebula presents a soft and delicate glow. The two main stars involved are one of 10th magnitude in its central area and one of 9th magnitude at its northern edge. It has a bit of a ghostly, otherworldly appearance and in my book is a true visual treat off the beaten path.
While there are numerous planetary nebulae within Orion, this object is the brightest of the lot and easiest to pin down. This small round disk typically appears whitish to the eye and lies about 2° southeast of the open cluster Collinder 69 (see below) which marks the head of Orion. For the most part the object appears as a smooth disk. With much larger apertures one may begin to pick up some hints of internal structure and maybe, just maybe, illusive hints of its dim mag 14.9 central star.
This dual object is also known as Collinder 72 (cluster) and LBN 977 (nebula), and has been called the “Lost Jewel of Orion.” Immediately below
Immediately north of the “Running Man” nebula complex, one can find this cluster. It is dominated by nine stars of 6th to 8th magnitude scattered around its large field with many of dimmer magnitudes filling in between. It may be visible with the naked eye as a small hazy patch, depending on your sky quality, and definitely improves as
Over 7° NNE of brilliant Betelgeuse, the famous “37” cluster forms a triangle with mag 4.5 Xi Orionis and mag 4.2 Nu Orionis. This most curious object truly does look like its nickname, both visually and in images. Two clumps of stars dominate this cluster’s field, one to the southeast and one to the northwest, with a nearly starless void between. This highlights the respective subgroups that indeed vaguely look like a 3 and a 7. Give it a look; do you see what I see?
Collinder 70 (open cluster, mag=0.6, size~3.0°):
This object is the epitome of a binocular object. The Orion belt star cluster is huge as it encompasses the three belt stars with myriad around them. It is bright and scattered, just perfect for binoculars or low power wide filed telescopes. While its enormity can be appreciated with the naked eye, it truly is best enjoyed with some level of optical enhancement.
Collinder 69 (open cluster, mag=2.8, size=70.0’):
We now move to the head of our great hunter. This cluster is also known as the Lambda Orionis Cluster, It contains a wide scatter of about 15 stars in the range of 4th to 9th magnitude predominantly in a south to north line starting at Lambda and trickling north, and scattered to the eastern half of the cluster’s field. As
We now turn our collective focus to the subject of galaxies. While Orion is rarely considered a fertile galaxy hunting ground, it is not devoid of these distant star islands either. The distinctive thing about this particular galaxy is that it is located not quite 2° due west of the great Orion Nebula complex. Of course, being so close to such a stalwart of the night sky and not particularly bright goes a long way toward ensuring the object’s relative anonymity.
This elliptical galaxy is located in the far southwestern corner of Orion near the border with Eridanus, about 1.75° east of mag 4.0 Mu Eridani. It contains a small bright core that may appear stellar. Be sure to look out for dimmer
Located in the lower part of Orion’s shield, this lenticular is found about 50’ north of mag 3.7
Located about 3.5° WSW of brilliant mag 1.6 Gamma Orionis (Bellatrix), this lenticular lay about 44’ due west of the mag 5.4 star HD 34043. While overall a little dim, this galaxy does display some brightness within its small core, typical of this type of galaxy. With enough
So there you have it my friends. A small sampling of the various treats awaiting you in the amazing constellation Orion. It sports objects for all
