M42 (NGC 1976)
Orion Nebula
Observations of this bright object are documented from the early seventeenth century, but there are speculations, if this nebula could be observed by the Maja already. In fact it is bright enough to be seen with naked eyes even under less optimal conditions.
This nebula is part of the large interstellar molecular cloud in Orion, a region where new stars emerge.
The smaller "ball" does not really belong to M42 but has its own record in the Messier Catalog as M43. Next to this prominent object NGC1977/SH2-279 can be found, the Running Man Nebula.
The Orion Nebula is one of the common first light targets for new equipment since it can produce great results with comparable low exposure times. But it is a difficult target as well due to its high contrast. The brighter core tends to over expose easily while the darker areas require a decent amount of exposure time to reveal.
The next image shows the full frame in a manual edit (580mm, ASI2600MM, LRGB 1h).