Andrew Cooper
Feb 14, 2016    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/10 SCT, Celestron C8 @ 57x
Seeing: 6 Transparency: 5 Moon: 25%

Bright enough to be seen with a first quarter Moon just 30° away, a faint patch of nebula surrounding the star NU Ori about 5' in diameter

Andrew Cooper
Dec 29, 2015    Waikoloa, HI (map)
28cm f/10 SCT, NexStar 11" Gypsy @ 233x
Seeing: 6 Transparency: 6 Moon: 0%

A star with a halo of nebulosity, brightest near the star and fading radially, a wedge shaped gap on the northeast side of the star otherwise little detail to be seen, M42 visible to the south edge of the field, the central star is NU Ori, 6.5-7.6 magnitude

Andrew Cooper
Oct 22, 2006    TIMPA, Avra Valley, AZ (map)
12x36 Canon Image Stabilized Binoculars

Small patch of nebula surrounding a star, just off the north edge of M42, round, faint but distinct

Andrew Cooper
Jan 12, 2002    Las Cienegas, Sonoita, AZ (map)
46cm f/4.5 Deep Violet

Almost circular with a wedge missing on the NE side, centered on a single bright star

Charles Messier
Jan 4, 1769    

Position of the little star surrounded by nebulosity & which is below the nebula of the sward of Orion. M. Messier has included it in the drawing of the Great Nebula.

― Connaissance des Temps, 1781

Drawings, descriptions, and CCD photos are copyright Andrew Cooper unless otherwise noted, no usage without permission.

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